Agbalumo Gum Balls

Those who know and eat Agbalumo (the African Star Apple), often enough, know that after chewing on the sweet and tangy fleshy parts of this exotic fruit long enough, it turns into "chewing gum".... and this type of chewing gum is one you should not worry about if you or your child accidentally swallow.....!

Its true when they say, every thing that has been man made, already exists in Nature...!

Commercial Chewing Gum
Its been long in the history of humans to chew, for various reasons best known to them. Ancient peoples like the Greeks, Mayans and American Indians, chewed all manner of shoots, grasses, barks and tree saps,,,believing that there are some benefits....

Agblumo Gum Balls

The sweets industry, of which chewing gums are a major part, is huge, with a lot of money being made off different coloured, flavoured ones. Originally, commercial chewing gum was made from the sap of the Spruce tree, but today it is made from all sorts of synthetic gums, rubber and resins...! raising concerns for when the gum is accidentally swallowed. Some of these artificial substances cannot be easily digested in the human body, therefore posing some danger to health,,..the manufacturing companies must not know about our very own agbalumo.....

Why Chew
In some circles, chewing is actually not acceptable and have been banned, this is of course due to the menace they cause (spat out gum stuck on roads and pavements, are unsightly and cost so much to remove). Also the noisy chewing is also considered rude.....but it is believed that chewing gum could have some benefits:

1. Chewing can help develop strong teeth and jaws
2. Chewing can aid digestion due to the release of digestive enzymes triggered through the act of chewing
3. Chewing can help to remove mouth odour because frequent chewing increases the flow of saliva which washes off bacteria in the mouth and limit their activities
4. Chewing may support weight loss by tricking the brain to create a feeling of not being hungry

With agbalumo, you can make your own chewing gum...here is how..

What you need

• Agbalumo (AFrican Star Apples)
• Sugar

What to do

1. Scoop out the red, sweet and tangy flesh of the fruit and mince finely, using a chopping board and knife. 
2. Add some sugar to sweeten and mix well into the minced fruit. 
3. Then spread the minced fruit on some parchment paper and oven dry (not bake) for a couple of hours. 
4. When the minced fruit is dried enough to handle, mould into shapes and store in a cool dry corner to further dry out the fruit balls. 
5. The drier the fruit the gummier it gets. 
6. Before serving sprinkle some sugar to further sweeten.