An curved arrow pointing right. Bubble gum starts out with gum base, then flavorings and sweeteners are added. When it's all mixed up, it looks like a giant pink monster. The way it's streamlined ...

and it's not something we ingest -- so what exactly is it? Technically, gum falls into the confectionary category, and today, ...

Modern chewing gum is primarily made with synthetic polymers like polyethylene ... This gives the gum its chewy texture and elasticity so that it does not disintegrate when chewed.

but its name is pretty vague. BBC Science Focus writes that historically, gum was made from the chewy sap of the Sapodilla tree. However nowadays, they say, most companies use a substance called ...