Skittles are candies with a chewy fruit-flavored center covered by a hard sugar shell.
The candy was first made commercially in Britain in 1974 and was introduced in the United States in 1979. A standard package has brightly colored pieces with an “S” printed on each shell. Common original flavors include strawberry, lemon, lime, orange, and grape, although assortments vary by market and product line.
The hard shell protects the softer center and gives the candy its crisp initial bite. Starburst, by contrast, is a soft, individually wrapped fruit chew without a hard shell. Jelly beans have a soft or gelatinous interior and a different bean-like shape.
Skittles have been produced in numerous special editions, including sour and tropical varieties. Flavor lists can change by country, so the original assortment should not be assumed to be identical worldwide.