The milky latex bled from the Mexican rain forest tree as Alfredo Rodriguez Arzate swung his machete, climbing the trunk with a rope around his waist and spurs on his boots.
Built like a featherweight boxer, the mustachioed 50-year-old tree climber was careful not to make a wrong move, like accidentally slashing the rope, which could have sent him into a bone-breaking fall.
“You can’t make a mistake in this line of work,” Rodriguez said as he hacked off bark some seven meters (23 feet) above the jungle floor, creating a zigzagging trail for the chicle resin to run down the trunk and into a bag.
This is a risk taken by “chicleros” since the late 19th century to extract the original ingredient for chewing gum from the sapodilla tree, which has been harvested since the ancient Maya ruled the southeastern Yucatan Peninsula.
The men who dodge poisonous snakes, run into jaguars and climb 30-meter (100-foot) high trees nearly met their demise when US gum makers switched to synthetic ingredients following World War II.
But like the sapodilla trees that can live for hundreds of years, the chicleros have stuck around and made a comeback thanks to Asia’s continuing appetite for chicle and soaring demand for the real thing in Europe.
For the past three years, chicleros have produced their own organic chewing gum, selling mint, spearmint, lime and cinnamon flavors in more than 15 nations, mostly in Europe but also in Australia, under the brand name “Chicza.” Japan still imports chicle to make gum.
The Consorcio Chiclero, a company that groups 56 chiclero cooperatives, says chicle sales have jumped 47 percent, from from $ 1.2 million in 2011 to $ 1.8 million this year.
“If you chew Chicza, you bring the jungle to your mouth, and you also contribute to conservation,” said Consorcio Chiclero director Manuel Aldrete Terrazas, noting that the business is an incentive to keep trees standing.
Emily Segal, director of the Australian company Organic Imports, said sales have kept growing since she first imported Chicza six months ago, spreading to a network of 3,000 organic stores and independent supermarkets.
“Upon first chew, we loved the texture and flavor of the gum and were so impressed with the pure ingredients we realized that this was something the Australian market was crying out for,” she said.
The Mayas and the Aztecs are believed to have chewed chicle to clean their teeth and stave off hunger, though historians say they likely used different techniques to extract the resin from the sapodilla (also called chico zapote) tree and make gum.
The modern chewing gum was created by American scientist Thomas Adams in the 19th century after former Mexican leader Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna introduced him to chicle, hoping to export it as an alternative to rubber.
Since chicle failed as a rubber substitute, Adams decided to turn it into chewing gum, said Jennifer Mathews, author of “Chicle. The Chewing Gum of the Americas: From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley.”
Chicle’s heyday was during World War II, when US soldiers distributed sticks of gum across the world. There were 20,000 chicleros and 5,000 tons of chicle produced per season at the time.
Its decline came when US companies switched to synthetic ingredients.
“It was basically abandoned by the 1970s,” Mathews told AFP.
The Consorcio Chiclero was created to save the industry after bad management nearly ended chicle production in the early 1990s, with only 1,000 chicleros still climbing trees.
Today around 2,000 chicleros live in small villages like Tres Garantias, a collection of modest wooden homes whose 800 residents mostly live off forestry and chicle.
The chicleros climb several trees in a day and wait hours for the latex to fill a bag at the foot of the tree, producing up to 200 tons of chicle per year.
After a tree is sliced, it takes seven years to heal and be ready for harvesting again during the rainy season, between August and February.
“It is the cycle of life,” said Raymundo Terron Santana, the grey bearded 68-year-old president of the Tres Garantias chiclero cooperative.
“When a woman gives birth, she is in pain. And when the chico zapote gives resin, it is also in pain when a chiclero slices it,” he said.
After rappelling from the tree, Rodriguez headed to a jungle camp used by the chicleros to ferment the stuff over a wood fire.
He poured a large quantity of the white chicle into a cauldron and cooked it for four hours, stirring the whole time as blue butterflies flew by and howler monkeys growled in the distance.
After taking it out of the fire and stirring some more to cool the chicle, he poured it onto a cloth and molded it into a brick, ready to be sent to the Consorcio’s small chewing gum factory.
Rodriguez made 13 kilos of chicle, earning 810 pesos ($ 62) for two days’ work, compared to the 100 pesos he can make working in the fields.
“I get to live together with nature and make money for my family,” he said.
He has climbed sapodilla trees since he was 15 years old, falling twice. Seven years ago, he broke a rib and suffered deviated discs in his spinal column. The injury sidelined him but he is climbing again.
“God has other plans for me,” he said.
Daredevil chewing gummakers stick to Maya chicle
Daredevil chewing gummakers stick to Maya chicle
Chanel spotlights regional models in campaigns, cruise shows
DUBAI: French luxury fashion house Chanel continues to spotlight regional models in its global campaigns and cruise shows, with its latest release featuring Mona Tougaard.
The Danish model, of Turkish, Somali, and Ethiopian descent, was seen posing for Chanel’s new holiday campaign. In the image, Tougaard wore Chanel’s “Premiere Edition Original” watch in 0.1-micron yellow gold-plated steel paired with black leather.
Her look was completed with a choker, ring, and earrings from the brand’s “Camellia” collection, crafted in yellow gold and adorned with diamonds. She also accessorized with bracelets and earrings from the “Coco Crush” line, designed in beige and white gold with diamond accents.
Meanwhile, French Algerian model Loli Bahia gave fans a sneak peek of the fashion house’s cruise show in Hong Kong on Tuesday through her Instagram account.
She posted images of herself displayed on a wall, showing off pieces she wore in the show last week. In one shot, she’s styled in classic Chanel fashion, donning a cream crochet jacket layered over an intricate chain and pendant body piece.
In another image, she was seen in a brown leather vest matched with coordinating shorts and ballerina flats.
Part-Saudi model Shanina Shaik, who has Pakistani, Lithuanian and Australian heritage, promoted Chanel’s beauty line to her 3.4 million Instagram followers.
“All the beautiful products from the holiday glam,” she captioned her story, showcasing an eyeshadow palette, a face palette, a highlighter, along with lip liners and lipsticks.
She also shared a story spraying the limited edition No.5 Eau de Parfum, part of Chanel’s holiday collection.
In June, Bahia walked the brand’s runway during Paris Fashion Week. She donned a two-piece ensemble comprising a tailored buttoned jacket complemented by a matching knee-length skirt in a delicate tweed fabric.
In May, Bahia and part-Saudi Amira Al-Zuhair walked the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 show in Marseille, France.
Bahia donned a green ensemble, composed of a knee-length pencil skirt paired with a matching top, layered over a white shirt boasting a hoodie collar, while Al-Zuhair sported a vibrant yellow ensemble featuring hot shorts paired with a button-down top and a coordinating cardigan.
REVIEW: ‘Super Mario Party Jamboree’ promises heated game nights and solo goodness
DUBAI: Nintendo’s iconic “Mario Party” returns in its latest edition: “Super Mario Party Jamboree.” With new boards, minigames and characters, the game promises a fun time and heated competition between friends.
As a self-proclaimed Mario expert who spent countless hours playing every edition of “Mario Party” from the age of 6, the game stood out for me.
Shy Guy has always been my Mario Party character of choice, and seeing the different colored Shy Guys in this version of the game has been so fun.
Other new characters on the roster include Pauline and Ninji. Toadette is also now a playable character unlike in “Super Mario Party.”
The game features four default boards, and three unlockable boards, two of which are returning classics from previous “Mario Party” games, “Mario’s Rainbow Castle” and “Western Land.”
One of the biggest differences in comparison to previous editions of “Mario Party” is the element of surprise. With many twists and unexpected changes throughout the game, there is really no telling who is going to win until the results are announced.
The risk-to-reward ratio is the highest it has ever been, with items that can cause you to lose your stars, coins and be bumped to last place in the final minutes of the game.
Another major change to the game is the new pro rules feature. This feature allows you to customize the rules of the game to reduce as many luck-based events as possible and raise the stakes. Item shops can now have limited stock, bonus star categories are revealed before the match starts and players can vote for which minigames are played.
The fan favorite rhythm minigames return and are all cooking themed, but the difficulty of these games has significantly increased. Once you get the hang of it, they get easier, but the Short-Stack chef minigame really grinded the gears. I personally found it to be one of the hardest minigames in the series.
The main drawback of the game, however, is the length of some of the minigames. Some seemed to drag on and I started to lose my interest or would get tired from holding down the buttons, or twisting my controller.
The Showdown minigames were not particularly enjoyable either, especially Luigi Rescue Operation. The length and difficulty were not appropriate for this type of gameplay, with most players likely to prefer faster-paced minigames.
For all our single players out there, the Koopathlon is the perfect mode for you. Although the difficulty and speed increases each round, it still proved to be a fun game mode for those looking for a quick and easy way to practice their minigame skills.
Overall, if you are looking for a fun game night, “Super Mario Party Jamboree” is sure to turn the heat up, whether you are playing alone or with your friends and family.
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature announces 2025 lineup
DUBAI: The Emirates Literature Foundation has revealed the speaker lineup and programme details for the upcoming Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2025, officially marking the countdown to the 17th edition of the event. Set to take place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, 2025 at the newly renovated InterContinental Dubai Festival City, the LitFest will offer attendees over 150 incomparable experiences, including fan-favourites: Desert Stanzas, LitFest After Hours, Discovery Talks, and the LitFest Families programme.
Leading the list of authors is US-Indian writer and Stanford University professor Abraham Verghese, author of “The Covenant of Water,” which rose to fame when it was chosen for Oprah Winfrey’s book club.
Other anticipated names include Emmy Award-winning journalist Hala Gorani, the best-selling author and illustrator of the wildly popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series Jeff Kinney, multi-talented author and screenwriter Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket, creator of “A Series of Unfortunate Events”), Booker Prize-nominated author Chigozie Obioma, best-selling travel writer and author Dr Mohamed Mansi Qandil, scholar and researcher Abdel Illah Benarafa, Cultural Personality of the Year Waciny Laredj, poet and author Khalid Albudoor, and celebrated Palestinian chef and cookbook author Fadi Kattan.
Closer to home, Saudi author Faisal J. Abbas will talk about his new book, “Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile,” a witty and thoughtful take on what it is like being an Arab in London.
“As we navigate a world of uncertainty and change, the Emirates LitFest serves as a vital platform for dialogue, understanding, and reflection,” said Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of Emirates Literature Foundation, Director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and Managing Director of ELF Publishing.
“Global conversations around identity and culture have never been more crucial, and we are honoured to welcome literary icons from across the globe whose works speak to the heart of these issues. Through our Festival’s dynamic programme, sessions that are set to inspire future generations and events that celebrate our shared experiences, we are building a community based on empathy and understanding. Now, more than ever, we need stories that connect us to our shared humanity, and the Emirates LitFest is where those stories happen” she added.
Dubai Culture is sponsoring this year’s Emirati Strand, which celebrates the culture of the UAE and provides an opportunity for Emirati and international authors to grace the Emirates LitFest stage together. The Emirati Strand features a diverse range of experiences and a distinguished line-up of Emirati writers including poet Adel Khozam, Dr Noura Alkarbi, artist Asmaa Al-Remithi, poet Ali Al-Shaali, author and scholar Salha Ghabish, author and trainer Hamdan Bin Shfayan Alameri, author Nadia Al Najjar, filmmaker Nahla Al Fahad, and many more.
“With everything going on in the world, now more than ever, we need stories. We need human connection. We need to come together in the ‘sanctuary of dreams’ … which the festival offers,” Tamreez Inam, head of programming, told Arab News.
“The festival welcomes people who want to dream and imagine a world that celebrates our shared humanity and offers a place where people can tell their own stories, find themselves in other stories and connect at that very human level. And I think that’s why the 2025 festival is so important; it’s needed more than ever now,” she added.
Dania Droubi, the festival’s chief operating officer, revealed that the event will also host an international youth program.
“We have 150 university students from around the world coming to participate in our program, and they are going to be here in Dubai,” she said.
“They’re all students who speak Arabic and who study Arabic. They are going to be here to meet with another 150 from the UAE-based universities, and they’re here to attend and see the authors and the speakers … and just participate in these discussions, because the youth are the future.”
For information on the full programme and tickets, visit https://emirateslitfest.com.
‘I am amplifying our voices,’ Miss Lebanon says ahead of Miss Universe pageant
- Nada Koussa has a psychology master’s and wants to raise awareness of mental health during conflict
- Contest is a way for Lebanon to remain ‘visible on the international stage, rather than being marginalized’
DUBAI: Miss Lebanon Nada Koussa is preparing to compete at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico on Nov. 16 and she told Arab News why she is participating while her country is “enduring unimaginable suffering” under Israel’s bombardment.
The Miss Universe competition has contestants from more than 130 countries competing, with Koussa among a handful of candidates from the Middle East.
“Representing Lebanon on the international stage is always important, and it becomes even more crucial in times of crisis,” she said.
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 people in the 13 months of fighting along the border, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health on Nov. 5.
“At first, I hesitated, as I felt leaving would mean stepping away from my humanitarian work — supporting displaced individuals and providing psychological aid in schools and shelters.
“However, by participating in the Miss Universe competition, I am amplifying our voices as Lebanese people who are enduring unimaginable suffering,” the contestant explained in a written response from Mexico.
Koussa hails from the village of Rahbeh in Lebanon and has a master’s degree in clinical psychology.
She was crowned Miss Lebanon in July by a judging panel consisting of eight women: actress Razane Jammal, model and fashion blogger Nour Arida, interior designer Diane Ghandour, model and socialite Georgina Rizk, Dr. Petra Khoury, socialite Paola Pharaon Rizk, TV presenter Raya Abirached and restaurateur Mireille Hayek.
Koussa hopes to use the Miss Universe stage to highlight the importance of mental health, especially during times of crisis and conflict.
“Lebanon has endured many hardships, and I am dedicated to raising awareness about the need for psychological support for those affected by trauma,” she explained.
“Since the onset of the conflict, I have focused on providing mental health support to families most impacted, visiting schools to assist both children and adults,” she added.
Koussa joins Miss Egypt Logina Salah and Miss Bahrain Shereen Ahmed from the Arab world. All three are currently in Mexico on a promotional tour before the pageant kicks off this week.
“This is also a way to ensure that Lebanon remains visible on the international stage, rather than being marginalized,” Koussa said.
Michelin Guide to make its Qatar debut
DUBAI: The Michelin Guide will make its debut in Qatar next month, with a launch ceremony scheduled for Dec. 12 at Katara Hall, Raffles Doha.
It will mark the first time restaurants in the Qatari capita have been recognized by the prestigious culinary guide.
International director Gwendal Poullennec said: “The Michelin Guide, renowned for its meticulous and independent reviews of dining establishments, has been exploring Doha’s vibrant culinary scene.
“Our famously anonymous inspectors have thoroughly reviewed the city’s top eateries, from the bustling Corniche to the luxurious hotels and diverse restaurants representing cuisines from around the world. We are delighted to finally announce the Michelin Guide’s arrival in Doha.”
To mark the event, an exclusive cocktail reception will feature guest chefs presenting signature dishes and demonstrating their expertise. These will include representatives of Alleno Paris, awarded three stars in the 2024 Michelin Guide France; Jordnaer, which holds three stars in this year’s Nordics guide; and BO Innovation, which is recognized with two stars in the 2024 Hong Kong guide.
