Chiclets. Only In Egypt?

You know those tiny, candy-coated squares that used to rattle in our pockets? Chiclets! 🍬 You know, the ones bakalas used for change?

These weren't just any ordinary gum – they were a piece of American candy history. Let me take you on a little journey through time...

It all started in the early 1900s with a guy named Thomas Adams. He was tinkering around with this stuff called chicle (yeah, that's where the name comes from!) from sapodilla trees in Central America.

At first, he thought he'd struck gold with a new rubber substitute. But when that didn't pan out, he had a lightbulb moment – chewing gum! In 1899, he slapped a candy coating on that gum, and voila! Chiclets were born.

Now, the thing is – while we can't find Chiclets on every corner store shelf in the US anymore, they're still going strong in places like well, right here. Egypt!

Can you believe it? It's like they've time-traveled to keep the nostalgia alive.

For Americans, they've become this sweet memory of simpler times, but somewhere out there, kids are still enjoying that familiar crunch and chew.

It's a small, square reminder of how some flavors can connect us across time and oceans. Pretty cool, right?