It was a normal trip to the airport. I had ventured into one of the many quick-stop convenience stores selling various air travel amenities to obtain my favorite fruity, rainbow snack. Navigating through the rows of magazines and keychains, I grabbed the bright red pack of skittles sitting by the counter, and paid quickly. 

Once sitting comfortably in my seat, I ripped open the pack and popped a few Skittles in my mouth—red, purple, green. The normal fruity flavors mingled on my tastebuds, when suddenly, a vaguely familiar sensation danced about my tongue. Refusing to allow myself to hope for too long, I ripped the package out of the seat pocket, and lo and behold, labeled beneath the vibrant technicolor image of the green skittle was one word: “Lime.” 

At first, I refused to believe it was true. Maybe it was for a limited time only. Maybe I was dreaming! But a quick internet search proved it to be true: Lime is back!
As for where it had gone in the first place, nine long years ago in 2013, Skittles announced they would be removing the Lime Skittle and replacing it with Green Apple, the first time a change was made to the time-honored original 1979 lineup. The switch fell in line with a green-apple fever that was sweeping the world, in which the extravagantly overpowering flavor stole the hearts and taste buds of candy lovers everywhere. In a robust and widely unexpected move, Skittles caved to the pressure and replaced the beloved Lime with the flashy new Green Apple. As for fan reaction… let’s just say that the Twitterverse got upset. 

Through the brutally extensive reign of Green Apple, fans protested on social media through quips and witty remarks calling out the new green flavor. Many fans were disappointed in the switch, some calling it a betrayal of their trust, while others threatened to boycott the fruity, candy-coated rainbow entirely!

In November 2021, their pleas were answered. Mars Wrigley, the company that owns Skittles, formally apologized for the switch, and announced that the Lime Skittle would return, righting an almost decade-long wrong. This time, they promised, Lime would be here to stay!

While some fans were disappointed in the retirement of Green Apple, most were ecstatic to hear of Lime’s return, and looked forward to tasting the rainbow, the original rainbow, once again. Now that the updated original (and sour) packs have hit shelves nationally, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sublime original we’ve all been missing!