Originally, chewing gum was made from the natural sap of the Sapodilla tree, known as chicle. This tree sap provided a chewy base, but over time, manufacturers shifted to synthetic materials to ...

Gum chewing independently arose across different cultures and regions at different times, says Jennifer Mathews, an ...

The sap came to be known as “chicle” from the native word “tzictli” that translates as “sticky stuff.” By the 19th century, workers known as “chicleros” were tapping the trees ...

Natural gums use plant-based materials like chicle or tree sap for the base, while synthetic gums rely on petroleum-based rubber. “Our initial hypothesis was that the synthetic gums would have a ...