For those not familiar, frankum is the hardened sap of spruce trees. It is thought that the tree exudes the sap to heal any damage to it's trunk. History states that the American Indians discovered that frankum contained medicinal properties which aided in the healing of skin irritations, cuts and sores. They also discovered that it could be used as a chewing gum. I don't know what set of circumstances would allow for the discovery that frankum could be used as a chewing gum. Logical reasons for filling your mouth with tree sap would appear to be few. Experimentation or hunger must have led to it. Growing up in an outport in the 1950's you appreciated nature and all it had to offer. It provided your work, fun and some challenges. One of those fun challenges was the chewing of frankum. I looked forward to my father's returning home from cutting firewood with anticipation, because I knew he would have his sea-dog match box full of frankum. Becoming a successful frankum chewer is sort of a process which begins with selection. Avoiding the softer sap in favor of the harder brownish sap is most important. A beginner would be wise to place just one knob of frankum into his or her mouth. An accomplished frankum chewer could master more. You need the right combination of saliva, chewing pressure and patience to transform the frankum into a workable state. Frankum doesn't have the consistency to enable stretching or bubble blowing as with some gums. If you were to open your mouth during the softening procedure and allow cooler air to enter, all would be lost. The frankum inside your mouth would become brittle and no amount of coaxing would put it back to a chewable state. You would be left with a mouthful of rubble. When the process is complete, the chewer will have a pale pinkish gum with little flavour. Your jaws will soon tire from chewing frankum because of the lack of elasticity and ductility. After chewing frankum for a short period of time you will experience an overwhelming desire to rid your mouth of it. With so many tasty alternatives to frankum and the lack of patience of today's generation, I somehow doubt the resurrection of "frankum chewing" anytime soon.   Submitted By: NULL