Most Thrilling When Chewed

Posted by Nostalgiaholic | on November 29, 2007

A reflection on a Canadian candy classic — Thrills Gum.

Each of us remembers our mother’s (or in some cases our babysitting aunt’s) stern warning of “I’ll clean your mouth out with soap!” whenever we experimented with a new word we heard from a friend, or in my case, from sneakin a peek at Scarface.

It was (for the most part) an idle threat, but it sure did sound awful didn’t it ? What could be worse than choking down a gob-full of Jergens? (even if it is sensitive on skin…. oh God… I’m such a jingle-whore) Little Thrills Package

Now, fast-forward to middle school, when one of your friends (probably the same one that taught you that dirty word) whips out a little cardboard packet and slides you what appears to be a harmless Chiclet, and you chomp down. BLARGH !!! SOAP !!!???

You just got a cheap Thrill. And you either loved it, or hated it BIG TIME !

Thrills were a type of chewing gum originally produced in the 70s by the Nestle-owned Wonka Candy Company. Originally they were widely produced in Canada and the states (now only in Canada). The fact that they were purple in colour, grainy in texture, and cheap in price seemed to set them up for after-school superstardom on weird-factor alone. Any kid under 14 had to try them… and most only did once…

You see, this particular brand of chewing gum had a very peculiar flavour, thanks to a very peculiar ingredient…. Rosewater. A flavouring agent used primarily in East-Indian cooking, it is usually used sparingly due to it’s medicinal-like aftertaste. In fact, rosewater’s number one application isn’t even an edible one, it’s as an ingredient in soap !

It was no surprise that soon after unleashing their creation on the public, the stigmata of “Ewwwww Soap Gum” caused sales of Thrills to plummet (to the anguish of Williy Wonka himself, who thought he’d finally be able to bump-off Cadbury Adams and his “Chiclets” Gum… I guess). It also didn’t help sales that the gum was notorious for becoming near-calcified in one’s mouth after only a few minutes of chewing. By the mid-80s, no-one was “Thrilled” with the idea of sandalwood-flavoured chewing gum anymore, so production was ceased.

Then, a company called Concord Confections purchased the right to the gum, and started to quietly produce it again in Canada with a new wrapper-style package that actually advertised: “Still Tastes Like Soap!”

They knew that there was a secret Kabal of us out there that actually ENJOYED the taste of soap gum. It’s part of our childhood man, taste buds linked to our nostalgia-cortex through a complex nervous system of long lost thoughts and late-afternoon memories. So what if the texture is a wee bit… um… unique after it’s been chewed for a short time ? A pack of Thrills costs little more than a buck. That’s a bargain !

So For those of you living in Canada, swing on by your corner convenience store and drop a wad of change for some Thrills. For those of you not of the back-bacon-eating persuasion, check out CanadianFavourites.com to order yourself a soap-flavoured time capsule.

Much Love…

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Posted by Nostalgiaholic | Filed Under Food and Drink, Random Goodness

3 Responses to “Most Thrilling When Chewed”

Stephie
Feb 7th, 2008
at 10:01 pm
1

*BARF*

Reply to this comment.
Toni
Feb 11th, 2008
at 3:36 pm
2

Something about chewing these purple rounded-rectangles makes me happy.

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