About Bubblegum

Bubblegum is popular with adults and children for chewing and blowing bubbles. It is different than chewing gum because its primary purpose is for blowing bubbles. The history of bubble gum and how it is made is interesting and part of the American culture.

History

The early history of bubblegum is unclear. There is evidence that early Greeks chewed on a substance similar to bubblegum. It was made from the resin of the mastic tree found in Turkey. In North America Indians chewed on a substance made from the resin of spruce trees similar to bubblegum. Early chewing gum was hard to chew and the flavor did not last. The first mass marketed chewing gum came in mid 18th century from the Adams New York Chewing Gum Company. In 1871 Adams produced the first chewing gum assembly line. In 1928 a formula for bubble gum that did not stick to your face after blowing bubbles was invented by Walter Diemer. The food coloring pink was used and pink became a standard color for bubblegum. The Fleer Company sold rights for Double Bubble Gum to Marvel Entertainment Group who packaged the gum with trading cards. Bubblegum was also sold as round balls in gum machines in stores and malls. In 1938 two brothers started a company called The Topps Company that sold bubblegum called Bazooka. This became one of the most popular bubblegum ever sold.

Significance

Bubblegum is a mixture of starches and polymers made in the laboratory designed to blow bubbles. About 100,000 tons of bubblegum is chewed every year. San Luis, California has Bubble Gum Alley. It is an alley covered with brick walls of already chewed bubble gum. The Topps Company has the record for making the largest piece of bubblegum that equaled 10,000 normal size pieces. It was presented to baseball star Willie Mays in 1974. He cut the gum into chunks and gave it to children in nearby hospitals. The first successful bubble gum that wasn't brittle and did not stick to your face when you blew bubbles was invented in 1928.

Function

The purpose of a piece of bubblegum is to blow bubbles and enjoy the taste while you chew. Some ways to blow great bubbles from bubble gum is chew 3 to 5 pieces for at least 3 to 5 minutes. This way all the sugar in the gum is dissolved. Sugar is often the reason a bubble blown will pop early. To blow a great bubble you should flatten the gum between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Then slowly blow and blow until a big bubble is formed. The largest bubble blown by someone is 23 inches.

Features

Bubblegum is made with about five ingredients chewing gum base, sugar softeners, natural and artificial flavoring and colors. Gum base is what puts the chew in the gum. Rosin which comes from trees enhances the texture of the bubblegum. Softeners are made with refined vegetable oil products . This substance helps keep the gum soft and makes it easier to chew. It also helps the gum retain moisture. Sugar and corn sweeteners are added to give flavor and good taste. Some flavorings are pure fruit extracts other are artificial blends.

Process

Often the bubble gum is made in manufacturing companies. It begins by weighing all ingredients carefully. The gum ingredients will go into a machine called a mixer so that the product can be processed. It is a large machine with rotating blades. After being mixed it often looks like stiff colored bread dough. After mixing it passes on machinery between rollers and flattens out the mixture. After this it is often cut and then packaged by workers. Some gum goes through air conditioned rooms or areas to develop the texture.