Bubblegum - Flavors

Flavors

Bubblegum is available in many colors and flavors. A "bubblegum flavor" is the taste of the unflavored gum, made from chemicals such as ethyl methylphenylglycidate, isoamyl acetate, fruit extracts and others, although the exact ingredients were kept a mystery to customers. When blended, the chemicals and extracts fuse to make a sweet, palatable flavor. Gums made with vanilla, coconut, peppermint and almond extracts are available.

Flavors include blue raspberry, lemon, strawberry, apple, cherry, watermelon, cinnamon, banana, peppermint, cotton candy and grape of which strawberry and banana can be achieved with ethyl methylphenylglycidate and isoamyl acetate limonene, respectively. Malic acid can be used for apple flavor, allyl hexanoate for pineapple, ethyl propionate for fruit punch, cinnamic aldehyde for cinnamon and acetophenone for cherry. More unusual flavors such as berry, cola, lemon lime, peach, tropical fruit, pineapple, orange fruit punch can also be found, as well as novelty tastes such as bacon or popcorn.

In taste tests, children tend to prefer strawberry and watermelon flavors, rejecting more complex flavors as they say these make them want to swallow the gum rather than continue chewing.