EPISODE · Jul 23, 2023 · 34 MIN
Chewing Gum: From the Aztecs to Avocados
from Patented: History of Inventions
Spearmint, peppermint, double-bubble. You may think that chewing gum is a modern invention, when in fact we've been chewing the stuff since the year 200. Both the product and the flavour have improved immensely over almost 2000 years.Jennifer Mathews joins Dallas on Patented today. She is a Professor of anthropology in sociology and knows everything there is to know about chewing gum. Starting from chewing on Chicle found among Mayan ruins to the brilliant PR campaign from William Wrigley, chewing gum has an ever-changing, social and practical history.Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Sophie Gee & Alex Carlon. Senior Producer is Charlotte LongDiscover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code PATENTED. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
Spearmint, peppermint, double-bubble. You may think that chewing gum is a modern invention, when in fact we've been chewing the stuff since the year 200. Both the product and the flavour have improved immensely over almost 2000 years.Jennifer Mathews joins Dallas on Patented today. She is a Professor of anthropology in sociology and knows everything there is to know about chewing gum. Starting from chewing on Chicle found among Mayan ruins to the brilliant PR campaign from William Wrigley, chewing gum has an ever-changing, social and practical history.Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Sophie Gee & Alex Carlon. Senior Producer is Charlotte LongDiscover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code PATENTED. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NOW PLAYING
Chewing Gum: From the Aztecs to Avocados
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m