How to Make Chicle

Natural chicle is not used by many American chewing gum brands.

You can make pure chicle from the fruit of the Manilkara zapota tree. Around the world the tree and its fruits have many different common names like sapodilla, naseberry, zapote and chicozapote. Chicle is a sticky gum base that is often used as flavoring in natural chewing gums. Sap can be squeezed from sapotes or naseberries which are the fruit of the tree. The white sap thickens to a sugary pliable paste as moisture evaporates. Experience sweet all-natural chicle chewing gum without any other adulteration.

Things You'll Need

• Sapote or Manilkara zapota fruit
• Knife
• Shallow dish
• Toothpick

Instructions

1. Score the base of the soft ripe fruit with an ½-inch-deep cross pattern. Use a clean knife.

2. Squeeze the white liquid sap from the fruit into a shallow dish until you have about 1 tbsp.

3. Stir the chicle sap in a slow circular pattern with a toothpick. Lift the toothpick from the sap and watch how it stretches to gauge progress. Continue stirring until the sap forms a sticky ball at the tip of the toothpick.

Tips & Warnings

• Chew the small chicle ball. Taste the light caramel flavor and sweetness of the natural gum.

• Sap can also be extracted by scoring the bark of the tree with a sharp knife. Unfortunately this causes scarring that can damage tree health if it is done too often.

References

• TIDES for Teachers: How to Make Jungle Chicle
• Palomar College: Wayne's World: Chicle & Rubber-Producing Plants