Why Is Bubblegum Pink?

Most people have a memory associated with bubblegum, whether it’s getting a glob stuck in your hair and resorting to the old mayonnaise trick to remove it or competing with friends to see who can blow the biggest bubble. But though it’s an iconic, easily recognizable treat, it remains shrouded in a fair amount of mystery once you stop to really think about it. Ever wonder why bubblegum is traditionally a specific shade of pink, or what the flavor even is? We have you covered.

A Brief History of Bubblegum

People have been chewing on chicle–a natural gum that comes from trees—for thousands of years. Commercial chewing gum became available in the United States in 1848 and continued to evolve throughout the following decades. 

Bubblegum’s story begins in 1928, when 24-year-old Walter Diemer decided to do some tinkering. He was an accountant at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company and had a habit of experimenting with gum recipes during his spare time. 

He wound up combining the right compounds and found himself with a sticky, chewy substance that did something no other gum had done before: it let people blow bubbles. But there was one glaring problem. The bubblegum Diemer created was a dreary gray color, and he knew no child would want to chew on something with such an unappealing hue.

Diemer didn’t set out to turn his concoction pink. He simply used the red dye the factory had available at the time, transforming the bubblegum from gray into the iconic pink confection we know today. The shade of pink stuck—it eventually became synonymous with bubblegum itself, even though now the treat is commercially available in a whole range of colors. 

What flavor is bubblegum?

Bubblegum is akin to the likes of blue raspberry—it doesn’t exist in nature, but if you tried it in a blind taste test, you’d likely recognize it right off the bat. Though it’s now available in a variety of specific flavors, traditionally, bubblegum is a hodgepodge of fruity flavors sometimes described as a mix of strawberry, banana, and cherry, or even a “strawberry-banana-punch-mix.” 

Diemer is also responsible for bubblegum’s signature taste. He wanted something that would appeal to children without messing up the chemical composition that allowed the gum to create bubbles. The result was what we know today, a fruity-sweet flavor that everyone recognizes but no one can quite define.

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