# What’s your culture's version of Fruit Stripe gum? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398 "2026-02-05T19:08:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/1 "2026-02-05T19:08:33Z")
It’s been quite a few years since they sold Fruit Stripe gum in Canada. But here, as elsewhere, it was famous for its amazing taste that lasted all of twenty seconds before becoming tasteless. Are they other products like this, and more specifically products like this in other cultures? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/2 "2026-02-05T20:56:43Z")
In my experience, this is true of almost all gum. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/3 "2026-02-05T22:17:37Z")
Fruit Stripe is still occasionally sighted in the wild around here (Texas). But @Dr_Paprika is right; its flavor is unusually ephemeral, even for gum. You barely get it good and chewed-in(?) before it’s lost all its flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/4 "2026-02-05T22:43:57Z")
Yeah. Fruit Stripe flavour is measured in seconds, even if some gums last longer than others. It is too bad because if the same flavour was applied to ice cream or whatever else I am sure it would be a blockbusting hit. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/5 "2026-02-05T22:57:08Z")
Japanese Fusen bubble gum has amazing intense strawberry flavor and just the right balance of sweetness (plus a very good texture for either chewing or bubble-blowing)… for maybe 15 minutes. Then the flavor settles down into a ghost of the original, then takes a slight sour aftertaste, then the gum itself granulates into little rubber crumbs. I adore the stuff, have since I was single-digit-years old, but ya gotta change out on a regular and fairly short basis (less than an hour at the most) or you’re gonna regret it. > **[Marukawa Confectionery Co., Ltd.](https://www.marukawagum.com/e/)** ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/6 "2026-02-05T22:58:38Z")
Products like what? That aren’t sold anymore or whose taste didn’t last long? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/7 "2026-02-05T23:01:29Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Japanese Fusen bubble gum has amazing intense strawberry flavor and just the right balance of sweetness (plus a very good texture for either chewing or bubble-blowing)… for maybe 15 minutes. 15 minutes is extremely good, for gum durability. Was that a typo? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/8 "2026-02-05T23:05:09Z")
No, but this isn’t a contest. And I don’t recall any Western chewing gum granulating like my beloved treacherous Fusen. Failure has a higher price. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/9 "2026-02-05T23:06:50Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Yeah. Fruit Stripe flavour is measured in seconds, even if some gums last longer than others. It is too bad because if the same flavour was applied to ice cream or whatever else I am sure it would be a blockbusting hit. You’re supposed to chew it by the pack, not by the piece. That’s where you’re going wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-cultures-version-of-fruit-stripe-gum/1027398/10 "2026-02-05T23:53:59Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > You’re supposed to chew it by the pack, not by the piece. That’s where you’re going wrong. Can confirm.