what is chicle

Chicle is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products. It is collected from several species of Mesoamerican trees in the genus Manilkara, including M. zapota, M. chicle, M. staminodella, and M. bidentata. The word chicle comes from the Nahuatl word for the gum, tzictli, which can be translated as "sticky stuff". Chicle was well known to the Aztecs and to the Maya, and early European settlers prized it for its subtle flavor and high sugar content. Both the Aztecs and Maya traditionally chewed chicle, as it was chewed as a way to stave off hunger, freshen breath, and for other reasons. Chicle is also used in other products, such as adhesives and rubber substitutes. Chicle was imported to the United States in quantity as the principal ingredient of chewing gum by about 1890, but in the 1940s it was largely replaced by synthetic products.