International Showcase: Wrigley's Extra Gum, China Edition

Flavor: Sometimes it's good to have a reputation.  When people know you have a gum blog, they feel compelled to bring you gum they come across in their travels in far-off lands.  Such was the case with this landmine of gum brought to us from my boyfriend's colleague who happened to be travelling in China recently. As I don't speak Chinese,  I'm assuming based on the pictures what the flavors of each are supposed to be, and based on that, here's a breakdown of the flavors and my initial impressions of each:

• Lemon: Extra, you've been holding back on us here in America!  This is a truly delightful flavor-- a well executed lemon flavor, finally-- this is something we're sorely lacking in our country.  I've yet to come across a successful lemon flavored gum-- in fact, I have hardly even seen any lemon flavored gum, let alone a good one.  This flavor utilizes a mild "mint" undertone to emulate the cooling sensation of a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.  It's sweet, lemony, and refreshing.  
• Blueberry:  I haven't come across many blueberry gums in my travels, either.  The blueberry is less impressive than the lemon, much more nutra-sweet than pure blueberry flavor.  It's pretty good, though, and better than most nondescript berry flavors available in the US. 
• Tropical? (kiwi, pineapple, orange, papaya): This one here is kind of weird.  It actually tastes more like bubblegum than any of the fruits pictured on the label.  It's a good bubblegum, don't get me wrong.  But it's definitely just bubblegum to me. 
• Spearmint:  Yum!  I'm not sure if it's the same Extra spearmint we have in America, but it sure is cool and refreshing.  Slightly sweet (just slightly), and a solid mint burst.  Less of your typical "spearmint" flavoring, though, and more just good, starlight-mint-esque flavor. 

Texture: All of these gums offer a nice texture to go along with the flavor.  They're just firm enough, meaty, and have a nice, even texture throughout the chew.  The only one that's a little weird is the green pack, as it gets sort of foamy in your mouth, but it's not a deal breaker. 

Presentation: Brand awareness at it's best! You don't need to know Chinese to know that these are Extra gums.  Simple, sleek, and to the point, the packaging breaks through language barriers.  On the back of the packaging and on the individual wrappers, it does say "Extra" in English, but I don't know ifthat it's even necessary.  My intuition tells me I could see a pack of Extra gum in any language and understand what I'm getting.  Well done, Wrigley's, well done. 

Overall: Although I would like to travel the world and collect gum from nations far and wide, I so appreciate when people think of me and bring a little bit of their trip home to share.  And I even more appreciate that I can spread the word to all of you.  So, if your travels find you in China, and you're hankering for a solid pack of gum, keep an eye out for that familiar Extra packaging, and you pretty much can't go wrong with whatever variety you find.  

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs) 

International Spotlight: Watering Kiss Mint

Flavor: A colleague of mine was gracious enough to bring me back a few packs of gum from his recent trip to Japan. After I opened and inspected each pack, I knew that this would have to be my first review, mostly because I need to get rid of it, ASAP. To be blunt, this gum smells. A lot. I had to close it in my nightstand drawer because it was such a presence in the bedroom and actually inhibited sleep. But the smell itself roused many a memory in me, as it is reminiscent of the old discontinued Extra Original Bubble! I was really excited when I placed the familiar scent, hoping that this delicious, sweet, indescribably fruity gum was masquerading under a clever pseudonym. Alas, the flavor was a shock, as it wasn't Original Bubble, after all. Upon my second piece, however, once I was over my grief for my old friend O. Bubble, I decided it was a pretty delicious taste on its own. It's very very cold, and it is indeed quite wet, as wet, I'd say, as Orbit Mist. The bubble flavor does have hints of Extra Original Bubble, but is unique-- a bubblegum base, but much sweeter. The taste is a little overwhelming, but not as bad as the smell.

Texture: The texture is also similar to Extra. It's a good balance between soft and chewy, and doesn't stale or harden after at least 15 minutes of chewing (I'm not sure how it'll hold up beyond that, as I'm not planning on chewing it for much longer).

Presentation: Although the package resembles Stride or Orbit, I was delighted to discover a new gum structure-- a three-quarter size traditional stick of gum. I thought this might disintegrate into too small of a piece upon extended chewing, but it actually has a very substantial chew. The package itself is unimpressive, a sort of Photoshop-looking shape and a gray background.

Overall: Honestly, I don't think I'm going to finish this pack of gum. It's got a really intense smell and flavor, and I can't imagine having a conversation with someone while chewing it-- it's tantamount to a thirteen-year-old boy learning to wear cologne and stinking up the classroom for a few months before he understands "less is more." But it certainly was an experience that I don't regret, and the jogged memories of my special Extra Original Bubble grant Watering Kiss Mint a high-ish gumball rating.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

pür gum - pomegranate mint

This review is sponsored by our friends at pür gum!

Flavor: First and foremost, it's important to note that this gum is all natural and sugar free, as discussed in Shannon's review of pur peppermint. That said, the fruity variety does leave something to be desired, as the first bite is reminiscent of children's Tylenol and fades not even five minutes into the chew. If pressed to define the flavor, I might go with "pomegranate," although I do feel that on the whole most pomegranate flavors are just sort of generically sweet and appeal to that "this is interesting and good for me" side of society. Pomegranate, these days, is like bikram yoga, or the term "green--" a fad for the health-conscious, trend-following public.

Texture: For a sugar-free, all natural gum, pur is really a stand-up competitor. I'd say that one pellet provides a rather insubstantial chew, and a second pellet would probably be necessary for an optimal experience. It doesn't stick to your teeth like a lot of natural gums, and it doesn't go hard like sugary gums.

Presentation: It's as simple as the gum itself-- it says what it is and that's what you get. Aspartame free. No artificial flavors. No artificial colors. Ok, so an umlaut and the word "pomegranate" is slapped on there for a marketing pull, but you've got to have some kind of gimmick nowadays, what with Stride Shift and React stirring up such controversy and gathering so many followers. This line is Canadian, but I think on sheer composition alone, could stand a chance in the big scary world of U.S. sales and marketing.

Overall: Glowing compliments aside, I'm not crazy about this flavor. I think in time, this company may compose a much more enjoyable fruity variety. For now, this one just is no fun to chew. I graduated to adult Tylenol long ago, and was never so thrilled with the flavor of chewables to seek it out in gum form any time soon.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Oh! And only one day left to enter the big contest!!!

International Spotlight - Thrills Gum

Flavor: The packaging of this Canadian gum boasts "It still tastes like soap!" and yes, yes. It certainly does taste like soap. However-- it's not terrible. The flavor is hard to describe, somewhere between a Choward's Violet, a Clove, and black licorice. We were requested to review this gum some time ago, and just got our hands on some as Christmas gifts (thanks Sandy!), and to be honest I'd been dreading doing the review. I can't say that this is my new favorite or anything, but I certainly can see it being an acquired taste. Downside is that the flavor fades really quickly - really quickly.

Texture: Here's where it all goes downhill. I don't know if we got stale packs or something, but it starts off way too hard and it stays way too hard. Too hard to chew for any length of time, if even at all. It's like the gumballs in the little machines at the supermarket that you begged your mom for a quarter to buy when you were 7 years old, only to find yourself at the dentist the next day because you cracked a molar. Not a good texture at all. It's a pellet gum so there is a candy shell, but the rest of the gum is so hard it might as well all be the same makeup.

Overall: This was a fun gum to review if only for the anticipation and the novelty of it. If I were Canadian I certainly wouldn't buy and try this again, but as a Gum Girl by trade it was absolutely worth the chew. I thank our friend for requesting this gum, and Sandy for seeking this out and picking up a couple packs for us. The gum itself really probably only deserves 1 gumball, but the "It still tastes like soap!" on the packaging made me smile enough to throw an extra one in there.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

International Spotlight - MUST

My husband came across a display of this gum in a local supermarket in the kosher foods section. There were a variety of flavors, and I picked up two: Mango Peach, and Extra-Strong Mint.

The flavors from which to choose were quite interesting. There were four fruit-flavors: The Mango Peach I purchased, a Cherry, a Fruit Flavored, and a Kids Fruit Flavored. The mints were interesting as well, with quite a few different strengths of mint, from Delicate, to Mild, all the way up to the Extra-Strong.

Here is a blurb from the packaging: "Kosher Pareve under the supervision of Nazareth-Illit Rabbiate. Product of Israel."

While it's pretty cool to be chewing gum that was made in another country, and also to be the first to spotlight an international gum, I have been pretty much dreading reviewing these gums. They're nasty. There's no going around it. Nasty.

These gums appear to be candy coated, but when I bit down expecting that familar crunch, I got nothing. It was as if I'd sucked all the candy coating off a piece of Dentyne Ice. The texture of both flavors was chalky at best, and with an extended chew it did eventually melt into a malleable mass, but there's just something off here. It's not smooth at all, it's almost like there's little mounds of gum base in there that for some reason didn't get softened enough.

The taste of the Mango Peach is downright horrible. It doesn't taste anything remotely mango- or peach-like at all. It's a horrible version of the fluoride your dentist used to put on your teeth when you were a kid. I immediately spit it out, and if it weren't for the purposes of this review, I would have thrown the pack away, never looking at it again. (Which I will do right now.)

The Extra-Strong Mint's flavor is alright. It's pretty strong and freshens the breath immediately. I couldn't tell you how long the flavor lasts, because I couldn't chew it enough to get past the chalkyness. Same goes for Mango Peach.

In conclusion, I certainly hope that this is not the only gum available in Israel. My heart goes out to the Israelis if this is the case. I would not chew this gum again if it were the last gum on earth, and I won't even be saving any for my sister to try. This gum is going into the garbage, where it belongs.
Rating: o (one gumball)