CHICLE or CHICLE-GUM, the coagulated milky juice (latex) of the sapodilla (Sapota Aclzras), a tropical American tree of the family Sapotaceae (q.v.). It was first brought to the United States as a substitute for rubber or balata, but since 1890 has been imported in increasing quantities, being the basic ingredient of modern commercial chewing-gum. The latex is collected by tapping the trunk after the manner followed for gathering balata and gutta-percha (qq.v.) ; zigzag deep cuts are made to a height of 3o ft. or more up the trunk. The very viscous "milk" oozes out and runs slowly down to a receptacle placed at the base of the tree, the flow lasting for hours and amount ing at times to many quarts. The chiclero collects the chicle from his "walk" of trees once a day, gathering about a ton per season from 200 to 300 or more trees, which are rested from four to seven years between tappings, about 15% being lost by this treatment.
The coagulated raw gum is boiled in large kettles until a water content of about 33% is attained; the semi-solid mass is then poured into wood forms and moulded into marquetas or blocks of about 25 lb. weight, which are packed for transportation in bales of four blocks each.
For manufacture into chewing-gum the greyish-brown blocks are re-melted, foreign matter is removed, sugar and flavouring sub stances are added, and the finished product moulded and wrapped in packages.
The importations of chicle from Mexico and Central America into North America in 1938 amounted to about 12,000,000 pounds.