Chiclets
Chiclets is an American brand of candy-coated chewing gum manufactured by Perfetti Van Melle. The brand was introduced in 1900 by the American Chicle Company, a company founded by Thomas Adams.[1]
History
[edit]The Chiclets name is derived from the Mexican Spanish word "chicle", derived from the Aztec Nahuatl word "chictli/tzictli", meaning "sticky stuff" and referring to a pre-Columbian chewing gum found throughout Mesoamerica. This pre-Columbian chewing gum was tapped as a sap from various trees.
Chiclets are essentially the same as regular chewing gum,[citation needed][disputed – discuss] with the innovation of a hard sugar coating offered in various flavors and colors. The original flavor was peppermint and assorted fruit flavors were available in Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Mexico, Portugal, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and parts of the Americas.[2][failed verification] In some markets, like Mexico, the brand is known as "Adam's Chiclets",[3] named like that after brand founder Thomas Adams.
Both in Brazil and in Portugal, the name chiclete became a generic word for chewing gum due to the popularity of the brand.[4]
Various people have been credited with inventing Chiclets, including the brothers Robert and Frank Fleer[5][6] and Louis Mahle.[7]
It was mentioned in the Saturday Evening Post in 2019 that as of 2016, Chiclets was discontinued by Mondelez in the United States.[8][6] It has re-appeared as of 2019, manufactured in Mexico.[9] In 2020 the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board held that the Chiclets trademark had not been abandoned.[8][10] To further confuse the issue it was noted in an article on the Mashed website that Chiclets, identified as Adams Chiclets, were available at Walmart, Kmart and Amazon in the United States.[8] Ingredient lists now show aspartame being used as a sweetener, while still showing sugar and glucose.
On December 19, 2022, Mondelez announced that it was selling its gum business, including the Chiclets brands to Perfetti Van Melle, the makers of Mentos. The deal closed on October 2, 2023.[11]
In ice hockey, the slang term "spitting chiclets" describes spitting broken teeth onto the ice (the teeth supposedly resembling Chiclets), a not uncommon event in ice hockey, where hard blows to face are a hazard of play.[12] A popular hockey podcast is named Spittin' Chiclets.
References
[edit]- ^ Wilson, Laurnie. "A Chiclet history". CandyFavorites.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Aylmer, John (September 2008). The Un-Demanding Cook Book - John Aylmer - Google Books. ISBN 9781438907413. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ Digital, Milenio. "Chicle. De qué está hecho, su historia, y cómo se fabrica". Grupo Milenio.
- ^ "Infopédia - Porto Editora - Chiclete".
- ^ Mathews, Jenifer (2009). Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, from the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley. p. 49. ISBN 9780816528219. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ a b Gilmore, Nicholas. "11 Old Candies You Can't Buy Anymore". The Saturday Evening Post. Saturday Evening Post Society. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ "Louis W. Mahle; Inventor of Chiclets Gum". Los Angeles Times. Feb 24, 1998. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c Behr, Felix. "Whatever Happened to Chiclets". Mashed. Static Media. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ "Adams Chiclets: A Classic Chewing Gum Worth Trying". October 15, 2019.
- ^ Retrobrands USA LLC v.Intercontinental Great Brands LLC, Cancellation No. 92066647, (p. 35 (Section E: Summary)) (Trademark Trial and Appeal Board May 29, 2020) ("Petitioner has not established abandonment coupled with an intent not to resume use for any of the CHICLETS marks. To the extent Petitioner’s evidence is sufficient to establish a prima facie case of abandonment, while there is evidence of actual resumed use only for some of the CHICLETS marks, the other evidence of intent to resume use nevertheless supports such intent for all of them.")
- ^ Soglin, Talia (December 19, 2022). "Snack food giant Mondelez to sell its gum business, including a Rockford facility and brands, including Trident". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "Blue Jackets players used to 'spittin' Chiclets'". Columbus Dispatch. December 26, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Chiclets at Wikimedia Commons
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