Of all the gums, gum arabic or senegal gum is the best known and the oldest. Its use by Egyptians dates back to 2650 BC. "Kami" was the name they gave to gum arabic. Gum arabic would have served to ensure the cohesion of the bandages of mummies.
The Europeans (French and English) discovered gum arabic on the Senegalese and Mauritanian coasts in the 15th century. They made use of it as food.
Today, gum arabic, or gum senegal alone accounts for 90% of world production. It surpasses in quality all the gums from other acacias.
