Letter to the Editor: The History of Bubble Gum

Chewing gum has a history that spans as far back as the ancient Greeks, who chewed the resin from mastic trees. But it wasn't until 1928 that Walter Diemer, an accountant for Fleer Chewing Gum Company, happened upon just the right gum recipe to make the very first bubble gum, a special type of chewing gum that allows the chewer to blow big pink bubbles.

People tried producing bubble gum in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but these bubble gums did not sell well because it was watery and broke in the mouth while chewing before a bubble could be formed or blown.

Diemer thought it was an accident when he hit upon a mixture that was less sticky and more flexible than other types of chewing gum that was produced, characteristics that allowed a chewer to make bubbles. 

This discovery took him a year of failed attempts. When he finally got the perfect recipe, he had an accident and lost it, it took him four months to eventually process produce the recipe for the perfect chewing gum.

To test his new recipe, Diemer took 100 samples of the new gum to a nearby store, selling it for a penny each. It sold out entirely in a single day. 

Realizing they had a new, popular type of gum, the owners of Fleer Chewing Gum Company marketed Diemer's new gum as "Dubble Bubble" which exists till today. 

Diemer used a pink coloring for his new gum because pink was the only colour available at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company. Till today, pink remains the industry standard colour for bubble gum.

Today, bubble gum comes in a wide range of flavours, it could be wrapped in paper or as round and circular balls, called gumballs. 

Apart from the original flavor of chewing gum produced, there are other flavors such as apple, pineapple, banana, blueberry, cinnamon, cotton candy, mixed fruit and watermelon.

Written by Afoma Nwachukwu., a 100 level History and Diplomatics student of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State.