Chicle

For the tree species, see Manilkara chicle.
Chicle (white substance) oozing from the pod of a Manilkara zapota (sapodilla) tree in Panama

Chicle (/ˈtʃɪkəl/) is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products.[1] It is collected from several species of Mesoamerican trees in the genus Manilkara, including M. zapota, M. chicle, M. staminodella, and M. bidentata.[2][3]

The tapping of the gum is similar to the tapping of latex from the rubber tree: zig-zag gashes are made in the tree trunk and the dripping gum is collected in small bags. It is then boiled until it reaches the correct thickness. Locals who collect chicle are called chicleros.

  1. ^ Leonard, Jonathan Norton (1970). Recipes, Latin American cooking. Time-Life International (Nederlands). p. 21. ISBN 9780809400638.
  2. ^ Mathews, Jennifer P. (2009). Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. pp. 19–21. ISBN 978-0-8165-2821-9.
  3. ^ Chicle, Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 17 March 2011.