Hey, Frayed Wire readers! This is a review Josh made on his old site, but is now being moved here!
A food review!? Yeah, that’s right. I’ve decided to do a quick food review to get people reading about non-technology-related things on this blog for once.
Big Red Chewing Gum has been around since 1975, but its flavor was changed in 2001 to make it hotter and more cinnamon flavored. Not many gums have a cinnamon flavor, so that’s why Big Red has become such a hit.
But how does Big Red cinnamon compare to more normal flavors of gum like bubblegum or wintergreen? In my opinion, I like those usual gum flavors better. Big Red doesn’t taste bad at all, but it can be a bit spicy to the point where it numbs your taste buds and you can’t really recognize the cinnamon flavor anymore. Other gum flavors don’t do that, and you can recognize their respective tastes for a long while after you first start chewing it (of course, the length of the taste depends on the gum). The Big Red taste lasts for a while, but you can’t taste it for that whole time because it messes up your taste buds with all that cinnamon. Big Red is a good gum, but keep in mind that your taste buds will be screwed up for a little while after you chew it.
(By the way, I was chewing a piece of Big Red gum the whole time as I wrote this, so don’t say I’m making this up.)
Final Score: 7 out of 10
By Josh60502
So, what makes it so hot? When I chew this gum it literally makes me break out in a sweat. I’m serious. I’ve been trying to check all of the ingredients to see if there is a spice or something in the gum that I might be allergic to. Do you know of anyone having a similar issue? Thanks much, Rick
i dont know rick but when ever i chew big red or even dentine fire i have a, well what i think is an allergic reaction. My gums and tounge start to hurt. My mouth swells up and i have a very soar throat. This last for several days and the only thing my docter says is to gurgle salt water.
Well I’ll tell you something funny, I recently developed an allergy to this gum. Actually having the same reactions as Bolter40k has… My tongue starts to hurt, my tonsils swell, and my throat gets sore.
I get the same reactions. But I get ulcers in my mouth also. Around my tongue and in the inside of my cheeks. I was concerned. I haven’t went to the doctor yet, instead just decided not to chew on it any more. But, I found myself sometimes getting a soar throat just from being close to someone chewing Big Red. I thought it was an allergy to cinnamon. What do you think?
I happen to have the same allergic reactions! I thought it was all in my mind the last time but I recently tried Big Red again and have ulcers on the sides of my tongue and difficulty eating, very uncomfortable. The last reaction spell I went to emergency room because symptom would not go away. Dr. gave penicillin shot. Don’t know why this would be necessary but it worked. Hesitant to try that again. Any suggestions??
I’m having the same reaction to Big Red, my tongue started irritating and it hurts when I eat. I sure hope I get over it soon because it’s a very uncomfortable feeling.
I also have the same reaction to Big Red gum. I used to chew it all the time when I was young and never noticed it until I got older. Now, whenever I chew Big Red gum, my tongue, inside of my mouth, and throat swells. I don’t ever chew the gum anymore after the last reaction to the gum. I was told that I am probably allergic to the red dye in it.
OMG!!! I’m so thankful I’m not just crazy. I was chewing this gum for the first time in many many years and my tongue, inside of my mouth and thoat swelled up. I thought I was just strange. It is good to know that I’m not the only one. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to check it out. It really hurts and once everything is swollen I keep accidentally bitting my tongue when talking at work and it makes me want to cry.
ME, TOO!!!! There should be a warning on the wrapper!!! It took me a few times to figure it out. I would buy the gum and have a piece or two…then my children would eat the rest. I ended up with what I thought were canker sores, which I haven’t had in years, and didn’t think much of it. Then I bought more Big Red…more canker sores…repeat…until I finally thought I figured it out. Now, I see that lots of other people have this reaction and I won’t chew it again!!! Ouch!!!
Same here, I finally figured it out. At least I know now.
Well, I’m so glad I’m not the only one. I went through almost 4 packs before this started, but it’s miserable. Guess I won’t be chewing this anymore. Thanks for the info!!
Hi! Guess what? I think that the entire planet will dwevelop an allergy to cinnamon after a few solid weeks of high-powered ingestion of the Big Red and Dentyne Fire level of cinnamon overload.
I work as a chef/driver in the Toronto film industry. My position is know as craft service, and we feed and socialise with the cast, crew and office production staff of movies and television series being made in Toronto and the GTA.
My point is that I work with 100 to 300 people every day on any gicven show, and food is free. Including massive amounts of Big Red or Dentyne Fire gum, and other hot cinnamon iitems.
As we all know, free means gluttony rules. We all become gum pigs and stuff our favourite gum into our faces at every opportunity. We can even take some home and have it later.
Within days or weeks, but never months, every single person on my show that eats cinnamon gum ends up with a big fat tongue and/or sores in their mouths. The funny thing is, they can all still sprinkle a little cinnamon on their oatmeal or in their favourite latte concoction. So the reaction is not like other allergic reactions. Then, the guys get bold and suck on a piece of raw cinnamon stick, not gum, and their throats shut.
We have Benadryl on hand for such cases of allergic reaction. Epi pens will be the next step. This has been going on for over ten years. You would think that we would just ban the gum, but no. And don’t we all break down and give it just one more try?
Oh, yes we do.
I am going to look into why having almost died from a cinnamon overdose from the offending gums, and cinnamon sticks, everyone is still fine with eating the little sprinkle on the cereal.
Usually, once one is allergic, even a little bit will bother you, or, a little bit will help your system adapt to a larger dose later.
Neither scenario seems to apply to cinnamon.
I’ll check out why and let you know on my website, if you like.
It’s what I do.
Cheers!
Pat
It’s eugenol and cinnamic aldehyde that numbs and burns and is in cinnamon. Just a lot more in gum than a bit sprinkled on cereal etc. Not allergy for most people, but an actual valid known reaction to those specidfic chemicals. If we play with fire, we don’t say that we are allergic to the heat. Same here.
Can’t find an answer to a quirky question? i wasn’t a researcher for nothing back in the day. Got to watch my typos, though, I’m tired, sorry for typos in last two posts at this site. Catch me at Over The Hill Health Matters, if you like. Any subject is fine. — Pat
dot com.
I hadn’t eaten big red gum for years and saw it advertised and ordered 40 packets. After eating only 3 or 4 sticks the next day I had mouth ulcers inside my cheeks and on the side of my tongue. I won’t eat this again for sure. !