Chicle is a natural gum made from the milky latex of the sapodilla tree (Manilkara zapota), native to Central America and southern Mexico. For centuries, the Maya and Aztec peoples chewed chicle, and it became the original base ingredient in commercial chewing gum when the industry emerged in the United States in the late 1800s.
By the mid-20th century, most commercial chewing gum manufacturers switched from chicle to cheaper synthetic polymers (polyvinyl acetate and other petroleum-derived bases). However, chicle continues to be used in some premium and natural chewing gum brands marketed as biodegradable or organic alternatives to synthetic gum. The chicle trade persists on a small scale in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
How it's produced
Chicle is harvested from wild sapodilla trees in tropical forests of Central America and southern Mexico. Tappers, known as chicleros, climb the trees during the rainy season (when latex flows most freely) and cut zigzag grooves into the bark with a machete. The milky latex seeps from the cuts and runs down the channels into a collection bag at the base of the tree.
The collected latex is boiled to evaporate excess water, then shaped into blocks for transport and sale. A tree can only be tapped once every four to eight years to allow it to recover, which limits production and makes chicle significantly more expensive than synthetic gum bases. The harvesting is done almost entirely by hand using traditional methods, and the practice supports rural forest communities while providing an economic incentive to preserve standing tropical forest.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for sugar, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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