Chewing gumChewing gum was an old tradition long before Europeans discovered North America. Nowadays, it is appreciated by young and old and comes in many varieties. But what some people don't know is why chewing gum is pink. Or maybe what chewing gum looked like before the version we chew today. These are some of the things we don't think about even when the gum is in our mouth. There are also things we don't even know we put in our mouths. To add to the curiosity of chewing gum, many don't even know that chewing gum was invented purely by accident. All the wonders of chewing gum will soon come to an end and will turn into knowledge as I guide you through the world of chewing gum. So how did chewing gum start? For centuries, the ancient Greeks chewed a gummy substance known locally as Mastiche. Mastic is derived from the resin of the mastic. The word “putty” comes from the Greeks and means “to chew”. Just as the Greeks chewed mastiche, the ancient Mayans began chewing chicle, produced from the sap of the sapodilla tree. It was their version of chewing gum because they copied the creation of the Greeks. North American Indians even chewed the sap of spruce trees. Likewise, in India, people chewed betel. As the demand for these products increased, the quantity of chicle decreased. The chicle supplier's ability to supply chicle was as limited as the trees from which it was derived, leading to the temporary discontinuation of tree-based gum. The new and improved version of chewing gum was created by a family of pioneers, a Mexican general, an accountant, a traveling salesman and, believe it or not, a dentist. The first commercial chewing gum manufactured...... middle of paper...... gum. Everything is mixed with the manufacturer's secret ingredients. It is mixed thoroughly until it has the same consistency as bread dough. As bubble gum is made, one question lingers in people's minds as they chew their bubble gum. Why is the eraser pink? This is because the only dye Walter Diemer had on hand at the factory was pink and it was also his favorite color. To this day, pink remains the industry standard. In the world of gum, we have sugar-free gum, organic gum, all-natural gum, bubble gum, regular gum, and more to come. But recently, Wrigley was granted a patent for a biodegradable gum, which will attempt to rid the streets of black stains caused by old spit-up gum. Next time you're chewing gum, think about how it's prepared, where it comes from, and how long people have been enjoying it, because you're following a very old trend..