Sugar Savvy

Gums have silly names these days. We’ve long ago left behind the straightforward practice of simply calling a gum by its flavor. Strawberry. Spearmint. Peppermint. And nowadays, pomegranate and mango figure prominently. The flavors need explosive adjectives. And apparently, the gums need to do the same thing. We’re going beyond the juicy middle of the gums of my childhood. Nowadays, one might call them flavor crystals. That’s not a technical term, you see. I’m not a gumologist. I like the old-fashioned minty gums that retain their flavor, but apparently I am in the minority because fruity ones are on the rise in popularity.

Wrigley’s, the makers of Orbit gum, sent a mess of new stuff to me.  The first items we’ll discuss are the three flavors of Orbit Mist, which deliver what the company calls a “hydrating sensation” with “micro-bursts.”

Orbit Mist Peppermint Spray is refreshing and keeps its flavor even after about 1/2 hour — the time at which I usually pitch gum because it starts to expire. But beyond the lasting quality, when you chew it, it seems as though it’s stimulating your salivary glands. In short, it’s kinda juicy. If I were really thirsty and couldn’t get to or ran out of water — like at a concert or stuck in traffic — this would be the perfect choice. Or if I suffered from nervous dry mouth or something. I have tried chewing it when I crave something sweet, and that works too. (It’s sugar free.)

Orbit Mist comes in three flavors: the aforementioned peppermint, Mango Surf (I’m not sure how I’d surf a mango, or whether I’d ride a mango wave, but I suppose it’s supposed to be a wave of flavor…) and Watermelon Spring (ditto). I didn’t much like the mango, but peppermint won followed by the watermelon; it didn’t taste fake, like Bubbalicious, but there was also a subtle minty thing going on there.

There are 14 sticks of gum and the package retails for about $1.49; a multi-pack with three envelopes of gum carries a suggested price of $3.49. Happy chewing!