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Jaffas

WorldBrand briefing

AI supplement

Original synthesis to sit alongside the encyclopedia article below. Not part of Wikipedia; verify facts on Wikipedia when precision matters.

Jaffas are a popular iconic Australian and New Zealand confectionery, consisting of small round candies with a crisp orange-flavored sugar shell and a solid chocolate center. They are named after Jaffa oranges, which inspired their orange flavor profile.

Key moments

  • Early 1900sJaffas first introduced commercially in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Mid 20th centuryBecame a staple movie theater snack, widely sold in concession stands across Australia and NZ.
  • Late 20th centuryProduction rights passed between major confectionery manufacturers including Cadbury.
  • 21st centuryRemains a beloved traditional sweet, with new flavor variations occasionally introduced.

Cultural Significance in Oceania

Jaffas are deeply embedded in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, strongly associated with the experience of going to the movies. The traditional practice of rolling Jaffas down theater aisles became a widespread informal custom, referenced in local comedy and media.

Product Distinction

Jaffas should not be confused with the similarly named Jaffa Cakes, which are a separate British-origin cake-biscuit product with orange jelly and chocolate coating. Jaffas are a smaller, all-in-one candy rather than a layered cake product.

Flavor Profile Tradition

While some modern variations exist in other fruit flavors, the original orange-chocolate combination remains the most popular and widely recognized version of Jaffas, staying true to the original recipe inspired by Jaffa oranges.

Jaffas is an Australian–New Zealand registered trademark for a small round confectionery consisting of a solid, orange-flavoured chocolate centre with a hard covering of a red confectionery shell. The name derives from the Jaffa orange. Jaffas are part of both Australiana and Kiwiana.[1][2]

James Stedman-Henderson's Sweets Ltd., under their brand Sweetacres,[3] released Jaffas onto the Australian and New Zealand markets in 1931.[4] The confectionery is currently made in Australia by Allen's lollies, a division of Nestlé. In New Zealand, it was made by RJ's Confectionery in Levin from 2018−2025, when production of the product was discontinued in that country.[5]

A number of Australian and New Zealand amateur sporting groups use Jaffa as a team name. In Dunedin, New Zealand, every year a vast quantity of Jaffas is raced down Baldwin Street – the world's steepest residential street, according to the Guinness World Records[6] – as part of the Cadbury Chocolate carnival, which is held in conjunction with the New Zealand International Science Festival.[7][8] The initial number of 20,000 Jaffas has now been increased to 30,000 Jaffas. Similarly, "rolling Jaffas down the aisle" at the movie theatre is also a piece of Australian and New Zealand folklore, to the point that it was included in advertising in the 1970s.[9][10][11]

The Australian supermarket business Coles has a generic version called "Choc Orange Balls"; similar products are made by other manufacturers.

In July 2025, RJ's announced it would discontinue production of Jaffas in New Zealand due to declining sales.[12][13]

See also

External links

References

  1. Richard Wolfe, Stephen Barnett. From Jandals to Jaffas: The Best of Kiwiana Random House N.Z, 2005^
  2. Lisa Sharp. CultureShock! Australia: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2012^
  3. Jaffas made by Sweetacres - Australian food history timeline 18 September 1930^
  4. Nestlé Australia - Your excursion to the Nestlé World of Food retrieved 2007-08-28^
  5. Aimee Shaw. Kiwi liquorice company RJ's signs deal with Mondelēz to make Jaffas NZ Herald, 3 September 2018^
  6. Charles Rawlings New Zealand's South Island Lonely Planet, 2009^
  7. "Seen in Dunedin-What's On Guide . July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015^
  8. "Chocolate Carnival 2010 ", chocolatecarnival.co.nz, Retrieved 26 April 2010^
  9. Jaffas chocolate - Television Advertisment 14 October 2014^
  10. James Gorman. How sweet it is — Rosebery park to be named after lolly manufacturer Sweetacres dailytelegraph, July 16, 2014^
  11. Rowan Quinn. Unique kiwi lollies may be saved from deportation RNZ, 2017-02-17, retrieved 2020-10-26^
  12. Tyson Beckett. Iconic Kiwi lolly Jaffa comes to end, quietly discontinued by manufacturer NZ Herald, 1 July 2025^
  13. Iconic Kiwi chocolate Jaffas are leaving NZ shelves Stuff, 1 July 2025^