It comes in flavors from blueberry-pomegranate to Kona coffee. Its brands may be imported, limited-edition, and even nostalgic. It's shaped like a stick or a pellet or a ball.

It's gum. It's gone gourmet and, unlike the rest of the economy, its bubble has not burst.

With 185 new gum varieties introduced just last year, gum chewers are getting increasingly choosey about what they chomp. Connoisseurs talk about perfume, mouth feel, and flavor notes of gum as if critiquing fine wine.

"I've traveled quite a bit and tried all kinds of gum, so I've gotten pretty discriminating," said Michael Ginsburg, a retired photographer in New York who prefers gums made without artificial sweeteners and infused with botanical essences. His favorites are a Danish anise-flavored gum called Stimorol and the Japanese Lotte brand lemon gum. "But for everyday chewing, I like peppermint Chiclets," he said.

Priced as little as 25 cents per pack, gum is still an affordable indulgence. U.S. gum sales were almost $4.8 billion last year, up 6.2 percent from 2007 and up 24.8 percent from 2005. Sales are projected to exceed $5 billion this year, despite the recession, and top $5.8 billion by 2012, according to market research firm Mintel.

Ginsburg notwithstanding, most of the sales growth since 2005 has been in sugar-free gums sweetened with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners that manufacturers said not only promote dental health but also intensify and extend gum flavorings.

"The sugar substitutes aren't as water-soluble as other sweeteners, so you get a more intense flavor that lasts longer," said George Stege, president of Ford Gum Inc., which makes Carousel gumballs as well as private-label stick and pellet gum. Moreover, he said, the industry's recent innovation of coating granules of artificial sweeteners with starch or fat before mixing them into gum's rubbery base further prolongs the period before it turns into a tasteless wad.

Rosa Li, a psychology student at Yale and self-confessed gum addict who reviews chewing gums on the blog SugarSavvy.net, said she's noticed the flavor of gum lasting longer. She prefers gums with "softer textures" and "complex or exotic flavor combinations" like Extra Fusion's raspberry, black currant, and grapefruit flavor, which is only available in England. She also likes Orbit's Mint Mojito, which is one of a number of cocktail-inspired gums. Others include Orbit's Sangria Fresca and Trident's Cool Colada.

Indeed, there has been a veritable flavor explosion in recent years. "We are very aware that people are more sophisticated in their tastes these days and expect more choice than just plain mint and cinnamon," said Paul Chibe, vice president of North American consumer marketing for Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., which was purchased for $23 billion last year by Mars, Inc. with $6.5 billion from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Inspiration for new flavors, he said, often comes from popular beverages, food and cooking websites, and gourmet grocery stores.

Wrigley and the U.K.'s Cadbury, which makes Trident, Stride, and Dentyne among other brands, together account for more than 60 percent of the worldwide chewing-gum market. Competing for the remaining 40 percent are scores of smaller, niche players like Ford, which makes gourmet gumballs with flavors like mango-chili; Choward's, which makes violet-scented gum; and Topps, which makes Bazooka-brand bubblegum. 

While it doesn't hurt that published studies show that chewing gum can prevent tooth decay, strengthen and whiten teeth, improve concentration, reduce stress, aid digestion, and control weight, gum chewers said their primary motivation is taste. And the more interesting and arresting the flavor, the better.   

So-called nostalgic gums also have a devoted following.  Dating back as far as the 1800s and with strong and distinctive flavors, they include Beemans, Adams Sour Cherry and Sour Apple, Black Jack, and Clark's Teaberry. 

"There's this whole group of crazy people that can't get enough of the stuff," says Jim Esposito, owner of the online candy store CandyDirect.com. "They only make the nostalgic gums like every four years in limited quantities, so we buy them by the truckload and hoard them as much as we can to meet the demand."