A Tootsie Pop [1] (known as Tutsi Chupa Pop in Latin America [2] ) is a hard candy lollipop filled with a chocolate-flavored chewy Tootsie Roll candy. They were invented in 1931 by an employee of The Sweets Company of America. Tootsie Rolls had themselves been invented in 1896 by Leo Hirschfield. [3] The company changed its name to Tootsie Roll Industries in 1969. The candy made its debut in 1931 and since then various flavors have been introduced. The idea came to be when a man who worked at The Sweets Company of America licked his daughter's lollipop at the same time he was chewing his Tootsie Roll. He loved the idea and pitched it to everyone at the next snack ideas meeting.
In 2002, 60 million Tootsie Rolls and 20 million Tootsie Pops were produced every day. [4]
Tootsie Pops are known for the catch phrase "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" The phrase was first introduced in an animated commercial which debuted on US television in August 1969. [5] In the original television ad, a questioning boy (voiced by Buddy Foster) proposes the question to a cow (voiced by Frank Nelson), a fox (voiced by Paul Frees), a turtle (voiced by Ralph James) and an owl (voiced by Paul Winchell). Each one of the first three animals tells the kid to ask someone else, explaining that they would bite a Tootsie Pop every time they lick one. Eventually, he asks the owl, appearing wise, who offers to investigate. He starts licking the orange Tootsie Pop, but bites into it after only three licks. The child walks away, saying to himself, "If there's anything I can't stand, it's a smart owl." [6] [5] The commercial ends the same way, with various flavored Tootsie Pops unwrapped and being "licked away" until being crunched in the center with Herschel Bernardi asking, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie pop? The world may never know." [7]
While the original commercial is 60 seconds long, an edited 30-second version and 15-second version of this commercial are the ones that have aired innumerable times over the years.
In the shorter 30-second ad, Mr. Owl returns the spent candy stick, and the boy's final line is replaced with him frowning at the empty stick. [7] [8]
The 15-second commercial (which is still broadcast as of 2024) only shows the boy with Mr. Owl, and a different narrator (Frank Leslie) speaks the same concluding line (this time without mentioning "Tootsie Roll" in the sentence), but without the scene showing the Tootsie Roll pops slowly disappearing with an APM Music track "Crepe Suzette" (composed by Cyril Watters) playing in the background. The question still stands unanswered. [9]
In the 1990s, a new commercial was made featuring a boy asking a robot and a dragon how many licks it takes to get to the center, with the Tootsie Pops known for the catch phrase "How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?", rather than "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?". [10]
At some point, a rumor began that the lollipop wrappers which bore three unbroken circles were redeemable for free candy or even free items like shirts and other goods. The rumor was untrue, but some shops have honored the wrapper offer over the years, allowing people to "win" a free pop.
Some stores redeemed lollipop wrappers with the "shooting star" (bearing an image of a child dressed as a Native American aiming a bow and arrow at a star) for a free lolipop. This was clearly up to the store owner and not driven by the lollipop manufacturer. [11] One convenience store [12] in Iowa City, Iowa, for example, gave candy away when the children asked. Also, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Osco Drug used to give children free lolipops for star wrappers. In 1994, the owner of Dan's Shortstop told a reporter that when he first opened children came by often, but after a while, he said he had to stop giving things away. Giveaways also occurred in Chico, California, where a 7-Eleven store manager in the Pleasant Valley area, said she had to stop because it had become too expensive. [13] Since 1982, Tootsie Roll Industries has been distributing a "consolation prize", the short story "The Legend of the Indian Wrapper", to children who mail in their Indian star wrappers. [14]
A student study by Purdue University concluded that it took an average of 365 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop using a "licking machine", while it took an average of 253 licks when tried by 20 students. [15] [16] Yet another study by the University of Michigan concluded that it takes 412 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. A 1996 study by undergraduate students at Swarthmore College concluded that it takes a median of 146 licks (range 70–222) to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. [17]
In 2014, the Tribology Laboratory at the University of Florida published a study examining the coupled effects of biology, corrosion, and mechanical agitation on the wear of Tootsie Roll Pops. Self-reported wear data from 58 participants was used in conjunction with statistical analysis of actual lollipop cross-sectional information in a numerical simulation to compute the average number of licks required to reach the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. The number of licks required to reach the center, based on equatorial cross-section data, was found to be nearly independent of the licking style with the one-sided approach requiring 195±18 licks and the full-surface approach requiring 184±33. Detailed examination of the lollipops indicates that the minimum candy shell thickness is rarely (if ever) located along the equator. Using the global minimum distance resulted in a calculated 130±29 licks to reach the center, independent of licking style. [18]
Non-standard flavors can be now purchased in single-flavor bulk.
Additional flavors: Green Apple, Black Cherry, Strawberry-Kiwi, Tangerine, Pineapple, Mango, Banana, Lemon, and Strawberry Watermelon lemon/watermelon vanilla Strawberry/Banana .
The "Sweet & Sour Bunch" flavors came in a package of eight Assortment pops, at .50 oz. / 14.8 grams each.
Hard candy matched with a complementary Tootsie Fruit Chew flavor core. [19]
Mentos are a brand of packaged scotch mints or mint-flavored candies owned by the Italian-Dutch company Perfetti Van Melle. First produced in 1932, they are currently sold in more than 130 countries worldwide. The mints are small oblate spheroids, with a slightly hard exterior and a soft, chewy interior. Is sold in many stores and vending machines.
Hubba Bubba is a brand of bubble gum produced by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Introduced in the United States in 1979, the bubble gum got its name from the phrase "Hubba Hubba", which some military personnel in World War II used to express approval. The main gimmick used to promote the gum is that, as Hubba Bubba is less sticky than other brands of gum, it is easier to peel off the skin after a bubble bursts. When Hubba Bubba was first marketed, the gum's flavor was similar to that of others but, over time, different flavors have been produced.
Nerds is an American candy launched in 1983 by the Sunmark Corporation under the brand name Willy Wonka Candy Company. Nerds are now made by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero Group. but is still distributed internationally by Nestlé. With their anthropomorphic covers, Nerds usually contain two flavors per box, each flavor having a separate compartment and opening.
Starburst is the brand name of a box-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, which is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Starburst has many different varieties, such as Tropical, Sour, FaveREDs, Watermelon, Very Berry, Superfruit, Summer Blast and Original.
Fun Dip is a candy manufactured by the Ferrara Candy Company. The candy has been on the market in the United States and Canada since the 1940s and was originally called Lik-M-Aid. It was originally manufactured by Fruzola, and then Sunline Inc., through their Sunmark Brands division. It was purchased by Nestlé in January 1989. Fun Dip was sold to Ferraro in 2018 along with other Wonka Candy Brands. It comes in many different flavors with candy sticks that are included.
Jolly Rancher is an American brand of sweet hard candy, gummies, jelly beans, lollipops, and sour bites, and a line of soda put out by Elizabeth Beverage Company in 2004. Originally created in Colorado in the 1950s, the Jolly Rancher brand has been owned by The Hershey Company since 1996.
Laffy Taffy is an American brand of taffy candies produced by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero. The candies are small, individually wrapped taffy rectangles available in a variety of colors and fruit flavors, including banana, strawberry, green apple, grape, blueberry, watermelon, blue raspberry, and cherry. Rarer flavors include caramel apple, coconut, strawberries & cream, apple crisp, chocolate mousse, pumpkin donut, pineapple, guava, orange sorbet, and lemon raspberry. Discontinued flavors include fruit punch, mango, strawberry banana, peppermint, and hot cocoa.
Airheads is an American brand of the taffy candy owned by the Italian-Dutch company Perfetti Van Melle. They were created on August 7, 1985, by Steve Bruner. Airheads are available nationwide in the United States and Canada where the candy is available in 16 different flavors.
Ring Pop is a brand of fruit-flavored lollipops marketed in the form of a wearable plastic ring with a large hard candy jewel. They come in an assortment of flavors and colors. Its product line is manufactured by Bazooka Candy Brands (BCB).
Dots, or Mason Dots, is an American brand of gum drops marketed by Tootsie Roll Industries. According to advertisements, more than four billion dots are produced from the Tootsie Roll Industries Chicago plant each year. Dots are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and kosher. They come in various flavors and varieties.
Polar Beverages is a soft drink company based in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a manufacturer and distributor of sparkling fruit beverages, seltzer, ginger ale, drink mixers, and spring water to customers in the United States. It is the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the United States.
Sour Punch is a brand of sour candy. It was one of the first brands to enter the sour candy market in the 1990s. The product is sold in six forms: Straws, Bites, Bits, Ropes, Twists, and Gummies. Like many other sour candies, they are coated with sour sugar. One serving size of Sour Punch twists contains 150 calories. The candy suits the lactose intolerant, containing no milk products.
Cry Baby is an American brand of sour bubble gum manufactured by Tootsie Roll Industries.The product was originally named by David Klein who invented the Jelly Belly jelly beans.
Caramel Apple Pops are a brand of lollipops manufactured by Tootsie Roll Industries. The lollipops combine a green apple-flavored hard candy covered with a caramel coating reminiscent of a caramel apple. There are two additional flavors available seasonally in the autumn: Golden Delicious and Red Macintosh.
Hi-Chew is a Japanese fruit candy sold by Morinaga & Company.
Baby Bottle Pop is a brand of lollipops introduced by manufacturer Topps in 1998 in a baby bottle shape. The lollipops come in a variety of fruit flavors including strawberry, cherry, blue raspberry, watermelon, bubblegum, green apple, and grape. The candy currently consists of three varieties: "Original", "2D Max", and "Crunch". In 2008, the jingle was reworked and promoted by the Jonas Brothers.
Tootsie Roll is a chocolate taffy candy that has been manufactured in the United States since 1907. The candy has qualities similar to both caramels and taffy without being exactly either confection. The manufacturer, Tootsie Roll Industries, is based in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first penny candy to be individually wrapped in America.
The Charms Candy Company was a candy company founded in 1912 and sold to Tootsie Roll Industries in 1988. It was known for candies including Blow Pops and Charms.