If you ask any passerby what America is famous for, then he will surely name three things - jeans, McDonald's and chewing gum. And that is absolutely true. That's just about the last celebrity we will lead our story. What is chewing gum made of and how is it really useful and can it be made independently? And also you will learn some interesting facts about the sweet and tasty-smelling gum that has captivated adults and children around the world.
Why chew this?
Today it is difficult to say how long and where exactly the chewing gum appeared. Our ancestors discovered it for themselves several thousand years ago. True, she did not look at all like her contemporary, but still brought considerable benefit. Mostly, tree gum was used as gum. She helped cleanse teeth from plaque, freshened her breath and disinfected her oral cavity, because resin was an excellent antiseptic. In the northern regions of our country, especially in villages, many residents still know perfectly well what sulfur is (resin of deciduous trees). Some nations preferred wax, others, such as the Mayan tribe, the dried sap of a rubber tree. It was from him that the generation of modern chewing gums came . Surely each of us will be interested to know how to make chewing gum today.
A bit of history
In the mid-19th century, John Curtis made his first attempt at producing gum from wood resin, but the business failed and the enterprise soon closed. But Thomas Adams was able to quite adequately implement the idea of his predecessor. But he began to make chewing gum from rubber with the addition of liquorice. After only a few decades, the gum acquired a pleasant taste and aroma, it was wrapped in a beautiful wrapper and widely popularized among the inhabitants of America. Needless to say, she quickly gained recognition and soon scattered around the world.
Interesting fact:
- Chewing gum is considered a symbol of America thanks to the world famous company Wrigley. It was she who decided to present to everyone who crossed the border of the United States a chewing plate as a gift (well, for self-promotion, of course).
What are we chewing?
So how do chewing gum today? The basis for the production are synthetic materials, which include a mixture of plasticizers, resins, elastomers and other additives, which are often derived from petroleum products. Simply put, it's rubber and plastic. The mixture is thoroughly cleaned, and then a sweetener is added - sugar or dextrose, various flavors, flavors and, of course, food coloring. The mass is heated and thoroughly kneaded to become uniform and elastic.
How to make chewing gum in the future? It is driven through a special press that forms long rubber strips, and a special device cuts them into portions. After the gum is wrapped in a beautiful wrapper, put up in boxes and in this form it will go to store shelves.
Interesting fact:
- Ordinary chewing gum saved the plane from a crash in 1911. With its help, resourceful Englishmen closed up a hole in the engine and managed to avoid tragedy. The news has spread all over the world. Not a bad chewing gum advertisement, is it?
Is advertising worth believing?
Surely, having learned about what chewing gum is made of, you will have a question about whether such a product is really useful, because there are so many additives in it, and chewing gum is probably not useful. Perhaps someone knows whether and how to make chewing gum at home?
The debate about the benefits and harms of chewing gum has been going on for many years. Like any product, it has its advantages: it is really able to clean plaque from tooth enamel. And its disadvantages: the manufacturer may not be completely honest and add health-hazardous additives to the treat. When you put a chewing plate in your mouth, your brain thinks it's lunch time and starts preparing your body for food. Yes, only food does not enter the stomach, and this can easily provoke gastritis or an ulcer.
But I wonder what gum "Orbits" are made of? After all, dentists all over the world recommend it! To be sincere to the end, such a chewing gum will not protect your teeth, but simply will destroy less enamel than any other. Its composition differs in only one - the use of a sugar substitute. Sugar is added to the bulk of chewing gum, and it badly affects tooth enamel.
Interesting fact:
- It is often believed that chewing gum is pink because it is a symbol of youth, tenderness and love. But in fact, the first chewing gum was pink only because it was the only paint that was available to its creator at that time.
We make chewing gum ourselves
Resourceful minds do not sit idly by. There are many ideas on how to make homemade gum yourself. To do this, you will need a bag of gelatin, water, ½ cup of powdered sugar, 20 g of beeswax, 100 g of honey in a honeycomb.
Gelatin should be poured with a small amount of water to swell. Cut the honeycombs into pieces, place in the baking sleeve and send to the microwave to allow the mass to melt. Now you need to add gelatin and wax to it. Stir the mass for several minutes until all components have dissolved. Cool, and then send the chewing gum to the refrigerator for half an hour. It remains to cut it into portioned pieces and sprinkle with powdered sugar so that they do not stick together.
By the way, you can make not only edible gum. There are many videos on the net about how Mr. Max makes hand gum. This is a great educational toy for the whole family.
Interesting fact:
- Once, in order to clean the sidewalks in Beijing from chewing gum, it was spent about 120,000 dollars. Since then, law enforcement officers have fined everyone who decides to spit out chewing gum on the city streets.