Would You Eat That? A Chew Above the Rest

I think that chewing gum is probably the most basic of basic sweet treats. First patented in 1848 by John B. Curtis of New England, gum was originally a candy that Native Americans made out of spruce tree sap. With a rubbery, chewy, tobacco-like consistency, this original gum caught on fast in America, and many New Englanders loved eating it as a way to pass the time around camp fires and at social gatherings. Chewing gum has been "improved" upon since its original debut, with mass producers adding new flavors and coloring, but the basic treat has stayed the same. So I wouldn't say that Japan has tried to reinvent chewing gum, but it has definitely taken the sweet treat and put its own spin on it. Chewing gum definitely looks and tastes different in Japan, and it's an understatement to say that the Japanese take on gum is unique.

I've gotten quite a few types of gum in my monthly food packages, so I wasn't sure which one I should review for this blog. I could have talked about the strange flavor of the fish gum, or the tic-tac-sized orange gum pieces that didn't last long. But, after eating both of those and others, I decided to review the gum pictured above. Advertised as Sour Lemon Gum, this treat lives up to its name.

Sour Lemon Gum came in a pack of two and was probably the sourest gum I've ever chewed. The moment I began eating it, I was hit hard with a tart, somewhat artificial-tasting lemon flavor that made me pucker for several seconds. The actual gum stick itself wasn't very sour, but the lemon-flavored powder that coated it packed a real punch. Its tart flavor coated every inch of my mouth, making the sourness inescapable. While the sourness didn't last too long, it made my eyes water for a while, and I could still taste the sour burn in the back of my throat for several minutes after I spit out the gum. I wouldn't say it was bad or inedible because of its extreme tartness; it just took me by surprise. But, after the sour flavor strategically attacked every corner of my month, the actual gum stick didn't have nearly enough flavor. It was actually quite bland and didn't leave much of an aftertaste, but that wasn't a total deal breaker. It was still gum and it was still fun to chew, so it was worth it. 



The History of Chewing Gum