Last Updated on October 28, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Do you recall yearning for those brightly colored square-shaped pieces of gum as a kid? No matter how many you had, you could just never have enough. Chiclets are one of the oldest and most loved chewing gums in the US with a somewhat sad past.
Kids used to love Chiclets for their colorful varieties and would try to get one of each color. Let’s take a deeper look into the history and taste of one of America’s most popular candy-coated gum.
Contents
History of Chiclets Gum
Chiclets is an internationally renowned brand of hard sugar-coated chewing gum owned by the American multinational confectionery company Mondelez. The American Chicle Company, founded by Thomas Adams, first introduced the brand in 1900.
The name of this globally recognized gum – Chiclets – is inspired by the Mexican Spanish word “chicle,” which in turn comes from “chictli/tzictli,” an Aztec Nahuatl word which translates to “sticky stuff” and refers to pre-Columbian chewing gum.
Chiclets are similar to native chicles, but with the addition of a hard sugar coating that is offered in a variety of colors and flavors. When first introduced, peppermint was the only flavor the gum was available in and had a white hard-shell coating. Soon after, additional fruity versions of the candy-coated gum were released in a range of different colored coatings.
The invention of Chiclets is credited to a number of people, including the Fleer brothers Robert and Frank, as well as Louis Mahle.
Mondelez discontinued Chiclets in the United States back in 2016. It was reintroduced in 2019 and is now made in Mexico. The Chiclets trademark has not been abandoned, according to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in 2020.
What Do Chiclets Taste Like?
The new Chiclets that you get today come in an updated package having a gray and yellow color theme. However, the packaging appears to be the only thing that has changed over these many years as the new Chiclets pack the same taste as their predecessors, and we couldn’t be happier about it.
With that said, if you’ve had the pleasure of tasting the old Chiclets, you’ll feel right at home with these new ones. The hard candy coating on the exterior now has small mint speckles; other than that, the texture of the gum also has an uncanny resemblance to the original Chiclets.
Furthermore, the updated gum also now contains aspartame which is something not many people are happy about due to its bad reputation as a substitute for sugar. Gladly, however, there are very subtle traces of this ingredient, and you can hardly take notice of its presence.
Keeping up with the tradition of the old, these new Mexican-made version of Chiclets have a strong, punchy, and minty flavor. The flavors are potent enough to refreshen your entire mouth and leave you with a lasting minty breath.
Naturally, as is with any mint gum or candy, anything you consume after having this gum feels ice cold to the tongue.
Shortcomings of Chiclets Gum
The original Chiclets were a masterpiece and did not leave room even for nitpicking. However, this is where the newer Mexican version falls behind. Many people have complained about inconsistencies in the taste of the new Chiclets.
People have reported that the mint flavor in the gum was not strong enough and was only mildly refreshing at best. Some others felt that the gum they received was stale and was nowhere near the original ones in terms of taste and quality.
Nutrition Information
You can get Chiclets gum in individual tiny boxes weighing 2.8g each and containing 2 gum pieces per box. Alternatively, you can opt for a large pack containing 100 small packs and weighing approximately 280g. The serving size of the gum equals two pieces. The nutritional values per serving are as given below:
| Serving Size: | 2 pieces (3g) | % Daily Value |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Calories | 200 | |
| Calories from Fat | 50 | |
| Total Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Potassium | 12mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 0mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2.2g | 1% |
| Sugars | 2g | |
| Protein | 0g | |
| Vitamin A | 8% | |
| Vitamin C | 14% | |
| Calcium | 5% | |
| Iron | 5% |
Food Review – Chiclets Gum
Here’s a different review in which we test out Chiclets gum in the original peppermint flavor!
Also see Fruit Stripe Gum – with Zebra Stripes!
Summary
Even with such phenomenal developments and additions to the confectionary industry, Chiclets gum remains one of the all-time favorites of a large number of chewing gum enthusiasts, especially those who have had the privilege of tasting the original ones. With that said, if you haven’t tried this refreshing gum, we highly suggest you do so.
Chiclets – Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
Can You Still Buy Chiclets?
In 2016, the original Chiclets were discontinued in the US. However, in 2019, the sugar-coated gum was reintroduced, but this time the gum was being manufactured in Mexico. In short, you can still buy Chiclets but only the Mexico version.
Who Invented Chiclets?
Although many people are given credit for the invention of Chiclets, Louis W. Mahle is believed to be the founder of Chiclets by most confectionary enthusiasts.
Do They Still Make Tiny Size Chiclets?
Sadly, no! Mini-sized chiclets have been discontinued.
What Are Chiclets Made From?
Chiclets were made from the sap of different trees, mostly the Sapodilla tree.
What Did Thomas Adams Invent?
Thomas Adams was the inventor of chewing gum.
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Image Credits
“Chiclets” by Jamiesrabbits is marked with CC BY 2.0.
“Chiclets gum, Peru, South America” by Pranav Bhatt is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
“#chiclets #gum @percolator” by Eleftheria G is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!
