Do you ever wonder why chewing gum is such a popular treat, especially when we were kids? I mean, who could resist blowing bubbles and breaking the rules by chewing gum in school? Well, the history of chewing gum is a captivating tale that spans centuries, connecting different cultures and defying the boundaries of time.
Ancient Gum: A Time-Tested Tradition
Believe it or not, chewing gum has been around since ancient times. The ancient Greeks and people from all over the world chewed on tree sap for centuries. Even the Mayans enjoyed the resinous sap from the sapodilla tree as far back as the 2nd century. In fact, there were Mexican workers called “chicleros” who climbed trees and cut the bark to release the sap, known as “chicle.” This ancient tradition lives on, and it’s where the famous Chiclets gum got its name.
While American settlers learned about chewing tree sap from Native Americans, it wasn’t until after the Mexican-American War that chewing gum became the sensational phenomenon we know today. In 1848, John B. Curtis started producing the first commercial chewing gum, flavored with delicious spruce.
