Gum arabic is a dried sap obtained from the stems and branches of two acacia species: Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal. The gum obtained from the Acacia senegal, also known as hard gum, is lighter in colour and sells for more. Gum from the Acacia seyal is also known as friable gum. The gum is harvested commercially from wild trees, mostly in Sudan (80%) and throughout the Sahel, from Senegal to Somalia. The name "gum Arabic" (al-samgh al-'arabi) was used in the Middle East at least as early as the 9th century.

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