a la violet beauregarde

I always have a pack of bubble gum in my purse. The last several years of my chewing gum addiction has led me to try almost every brand and flavor of gum on the market. Icebreakers, Stride, 5, Trident, Orbit, I didn't discriminate at first. I bought whatever was on sale or whatever new packaging grabbed my attention.



But as my chewing gum palette became more refined (as if chewing gum can ever be refined), I became more and more selective about my gum choices. Leading me to be able to give a pretty detailed breakdown of why I like what I like.

This is a fair representation of me on a daily basis...




The bright neon colors and poorly designed packaging of the grocery store gum aisle scream visually loud enough to make you turn around and walk away.



But instead of grabbing the first thing that holds your gaze, recall this below chart for your maximum chewing pleasure.

The chart features my 'best of the best' picks. They all taste delicious... at first. But how they maintain their flavor is a very different story.



Let's start on the bottom...

• Icebreaker's Ice Cubes in Lemon and Raspberry is delicious. The first five seconds of the chewing experience is bold, sweet, and one of the best artificial Lemon and Raspberry tastes I've enjoyed. Sadly, the bliss ends after those 5-10 seconds and you're left with a pretty bland gum.

• Orbit Mist Raspberry Lemon Dew is really yummy and such a great flavor combo. It lasts a little longer than the Icebreaker's Ice Cubes, but not by much, maybe a few minutes.

• 5 gum is known for holding great flavor, and I'm only speaking about their fruity flavors (React and Vortex), but on the 'holding flavor' scale it ranks right in the middle. The flavors aren't nearly as potent or bold as the Icebreakers or Orbit flavors, but the flavor holds and there's something to be said for that.

• Trident Vitality is one of Trident's newer gums that boasts added Vitamin C. The taste is solid and different with more citrus than strawberry and the flavor lasts.

• Extra's Dessert Delights are SO tasty and unique. There are three dessert flavors; Orange Creamsicle, Strawberry Shortcake and Mint Chocolate Chip

• Trident Layers is at the top of my list. It's my go-to gum for surprisingly long lasting flavor and the biggest bang for your buck. It beats out its competitors by a long haul and has rad flavors and tastes to boot. My favorite is either the Apple & Pineapple or Strawberry & Citrus but the Mint & Melon is equally interesting. Take my word, buy this gum and give it a whirl. You won't be disappointed.