Chiclets

Chiclets is a brand of candy-coated chewing gum owned by Mondelez International. The brand was introduced in 1900 by the American Chicle Company, a company founded by Thomas Adams.[1]

For other uses, see Chiclet (disambiguation).
Sample package
1912 advertisement

History

The Chiclets name is derived from the Mexican Spanish word "chicle", derived from the Aztec Nahuatl word "chictli/tzictli", meaning "sticky stuff", and referring to a pre-Columbian chewing gum found throughout Mesoamerica. This pre-Columbian chewing gum was tapped as a sap from various trees, but especially from the sapodilla tree.

Chiclets are essentially the same as the indigenous chicle, with the innovation of a hard sugar coating offered in various flavors and colors. The original flavor was peppermint, and assorted fruit flavors were available in Algeria, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt, Canada, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Mexico, Syria, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Portugal, and parts of the Americas.[2]

Various people have been credited with inventing Chiclets including the brothers Robert and Frank Fleer,[3] and Louis Mahle.[4]

As of 2016, the Chiclets gum brand was discontinued by Mondelez in the United States.[5] It has re-appeared as of 2019, manufactured in Mexico.[6]

References
  1. Wilson, Laurnie. "A Chiclet history". CandyFavorites.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  2. Aylmer, John (September 2008). The Un-Demanding Cook Book - John Aylmer - Google Books. ISBN 9781438907413. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  3. Mathews, Jenifer (2009). Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley. p. 49. ISBN 9780816528219. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  4. "Louis W. Mahle; Inventor of Chiclets Gum". Los Angeles Times. Feb 24, 1998. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  5. Gasparro, Annie; Chaudhuri, Saabira (3 December 2019). "Chew on This: Gum That Promises to Help You Sleep and Make You Skinny". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  6. Abasto, October 15, 2019
  • Media related to Chiclets at Wikimedia Commons
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