Gum Review: Stride Always Mandarin

Thursday, July 24, 2008 - by Monica

All right, just finished lunch – a little Mexican (food, not person) – and I could use a little oral refreshing, if you know what I mean. I’m salivating for my all-time favorite and everyday afternoon go-to, Orbit Citrusmint gum. I’ll admit, I was skeptical of this flavor combo at first, fearing it might go the way of post-teeth-brushing orange juice, but how unfounded those fears were. Oh how I love its delicate balance, its burst of refreshing powers sans dental cleaning aftertaste. (I’m also a fan of orange-flavored toothpaste and Listerine, it should be noted, as means for washing away my sugary sins.) Yes, salsa be damned, I need some immediately! But wait… oh, that’s right, I have a box of Stride Always Mandarin waiting to be chewed and reviewed. Orbit will have to take a backseat for now… it’s Stride time. (And, as their somewhat perplexing name indicates, it’s always mandarin time.)

Okay, off the bat, the box flips down rather stealthily to expose two rows of gum and what appears to be some sort of word game, presumably to give you something to “do while you chew,” which could be a long time, apparently, as their tagline is “Ridiculously long lasting gum” and their website promises flavor that lasts “…for like… ever.” Really goin’ for that teen demo there, huh? Well time will tell, Stride, time will tell.

Sniff sniff. Smells good. Maybe even a little more orange-y than my Orbit. Good sign. One bite. Two. Oooh, nice burst of mandarin orange. I’m lounging in the sun. I’m vacationing in the Keys. Someone call Tropicana, this is orange. No mint undertones here. So far I’m a fan, now let’s see how ridiculously long it lasts.

(Insert dissolve indicating time elapse.)

Wow. While I hesitate to concede the flavor length as “ridiculous,” I’ll admit that my jaw exhausted before the taste did. Sure, it wasn’t the exuberant citrus burst of its youth, but a sweet orange note accompanied me throughout my afternoon. This one’s a thumbs up for me. “Always Mandarin” indeed. Always Stride for me too, I daresay, for I think this might just have dethroned the long reigning Citrusmint. All hail Stride Always Mandarin.

And as a side note, massive props to Stride for one of their very original marketing strategies: supporting two around-the-world trips for the internet’s own Matt Harding (you may also know him as the guy who dances around the world). If you haven’t checked out his phenomenally popular (and downright phenomenal) videos yet, you should. They’re awesome. And Stride is awesome for being even minimally responsible for them. You can find them on Stride’s website by clicking on “Matt’s Place,” or watch them at Where The Hell Is Matt?

• Stride Gum Website

Buy Stride Gum Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Candy Direct