{New Food Review}Orbit Mint Mojito Gum

Sometimes I think that food makers have gone too far when trying to combine flavors in unique ways. Sure, we had, "Your chocolate ran into my peanut butter," back in the 70's; we attempted to swallow Cragmont Chocolate Mint soda in the 80's; and the 90's gave us Tropicana Twisters with strange new fruit blends that "could lead to dancing." In the new millenium, however, things started to get out of control. Chocolate-coated Altoids. Blazin' Buffalo Doritos. Aruba Jam Sprite. Orbit Mint Mojito Gum.

When I saw Orbit Mint Mojito in the local Snak Atak store today, I realized that I didn't even know what a mojito is. The little illustration on the package showed a couple of mint leaves playfully concealing what looked like half of a lime. After recently rejecting (eschewing?) other recent fruit-mint combinations of chewing gum, I decided that this was the day to try it. At first smelling like Fruit Stripe, the first stick tasted far different than that gum of my childhood memories. This gum tasted like a mop bucket full of floor cleaner that's just been used at Santa's candy cane factory. The last time I'd smelled anything like this was at a hotel that I had booked through, appropriately enough, Orbitz. The cleaning crews had been making their way down the hall, and my wife and I had overheard their conversation as we passed by. I could've sworn we heard the word "mojito" in there, spoken with a sneer.

submitted March 8, 2007
rejected