Manilkara chicle
| Chicle | |
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| Species: | M. chicle
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| Binomial name | |
| Manilkara chicle (Pittier) Gilly
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Chicle is the gum from Manilkara chicle, a species of sapodilla tree. It is a tropical evergreen tree, native to southern North America and South America. It is the traditional material used in chewing gum. The Wrigley Company was a prominent user of this material. Today there are only a few companies that still make chewing gum from natural chicle.
The name "chicle" comes from the Nahuatl word for the gum, tziktli ['ʦikt͡ɬi], which can be translated as "sticky stuff".
The tree is also grown for its fruit, which is plum-sized and has a translucent brown flesh. The tapping of the gum is similar to the tapping of latex from the rubber tree. Zigzag gashes are made in the tree trunk and the dripping gum is collected in small bags. Locals who collect chicle are called chicleros. It is then boiled until it reaches the correct thickness. Widespread tapping has led to the tree becoming scarce and other sources like the related balatá (Manilkara bidentata) are increasingly used. Many modern chewing gums use petroleum-based plastic instead of chicle.
Chicle was well known to the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs and to the Mayans (Amerindians), and early European settlers prized it for its subtle flavour and high sugar content. Chiclets are named after chicle.