Tootsie Pop facts for kids
A Tootsie Pop is a popular hard candy lollipop. It has a chewy chocolate-flavored Tootsie Roll candy right in its center. These tasty treats were first created in 1931. An employee of The Sweets Company of America came up with the idea. The original Tootsie Rolls were invented much earlier, in 1896, by Leo Hirschfield. The company that makes them is now called Tootsie Roll Industries.
The idea for the Tootsie Pop came about when an employee was enjoying a lollipop and a Tootsie Roll at the same time. He thought it would be great to combine them! He shared his idea, and it became a hit. By 2002, the company was making a huge number of candies every day. They produced 60 million Tootsie Rolls and 20 million Tootsie Pops daily.
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Famous Commercials
Tootsie Pops are well-known for their catchy phrase: "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" This famous line first appeared in an animated TV commercial in 1969.
The Original Commercial
In the first commercial, a curious boy asks several animals this big question. He asks a cow, a fox, and a turtle. Each animal tells him they would just bite the lollipop instead of licking it. Finally, he asks a wise-looking owl. The owl agrees to help find the answer. He starts licking an orange Tootsie Pop. But after only three licks, he bites into it! The boy walks away, saying, "If there's anything I can't stand, it's a smart owl." The commercial ends with a narrator asking, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know."
This original commercial was 60 seconds long. Shorter versions, 30 seconds and 15 seconds, have also aired many times. The 15-second version is still shown on TV today.
Newer Commercials
In the 1990s, new commercials were made. These showed a boy asking a robot and a dragon the same question. The phrase was slightly shorter in these ads. It asked, "How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"
Fun Facts and Lick Tests
Over the years, some interesting stories and studies have come up about Tootsie Pops.
Wrapper Rumors
A rumor once spread that if a Tootsie Pop wrapper had three unbroken circles, you could get free candy. Some stores did honor this, giving away free lollipops. However, the company never officially supported this rumor.
Another rumor involved wrappers with a "shooting star" image. This image showed a child dressed as a Native American aiming a bow and arrow at a star. Some stores would give a free lollipop for these wrappers. This was always up to the store owner, not the Tootsie Roll company. Since 1982, Tootsie Roll Industries has sent a short story called "The Legend of the Indian Wrapper" to children who mailed in these wrappers.
How Many Licks? Studies
Many people have tried to answer the famous question: "How many licks does it take?"
- A study at Purdue University used a "licking machine." It found that it took about 365 licks to reach the center. When 20 students tried, it took them about 253 licks.
- Another study at the University of Michigan said it took 412 licks.
- Students at Swarthmore College in 1996 found it took about 146 licks on average.
- In 2014, a study at the University of Florida looked at how lollipops wear down. They found that it took about 195 licks for a one-sided approach. For licking the whole surface, it took about 184 licks. Their detailed study suggested it could take as few as 130 licks to reach the center.
So, the world still may never know the exact answer, as it depends on how you lick!
Tootsie Pop Flavors
Tootsie Pops come in many different flavors!
Standard Flavors
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Grape
- Orange
- Red Raspberry
Tropical Stormz Flavors
- Citrus Punch
- Berry Berry Punch
- Lemon/Lime
- Orange/Pineapple
- Tangerine
- Tropical Punch
- Fruit Punch
- Pineapple
"Wild Berry" Assortment
- Wild Apple Berry
- Wild Blueberry
- Wild Black Cherry
- Wild Cherry Berry
- Wild Mango Berry
- Wild Blackberry
Other Flavors
Some flavors are rotated in and out, or sold in special bulk packages.
- Pomegranate
- Blueberry
- Lemon-Lime
- Blue Raspberry
- Watermelon
- Strawberry
- Strawberry-Watermelon
- Green Apple
- Black Cherry
- Strawberry-Kiwi
- Mango
- Banana
- Lemon
- Strawberry Watermelon lemon/watermelon vanilla
- Strawberry/Banana
Seasonal Flavors
These flavors are available during certain times of the year.
- Candy Cane (Christmas)
- Peppermint (Christmas)
- Caramel (Halloween, but sometimes sold all year)
- Strawberry-Vanilla, Cherry (Valentine's Day)
"Sweet & Sour Bunch" Pops
These come in a special package with eight different flavors.
- Sour Apple
- Sour Blackberry
- Sour Blue Raspberry
- Sour Lemon
- Sweet Cherry
- Sweet Grape
- Sweet Orange
- Sweet Raspberry
Tootsie Fruit Chews Pops
These pops have a hard candy shell with a chewy fruit chew center that matches the flavor.
- Orange Pop/Lime Center
- Strawberry Pop/Lemon Center
- Lemon Lime Pop/Orange Center
- Blue Raspberry Pop/Cherry Center
Sister Products
Tootsie Roll Industries makes other fun candies too!
- Tootsie Rolls – These are the original chewy chocolate candies that inspired the Tootsie Pop.
- Tootsie Pop Drops – These are smaller Tootsie Pop candies without the stick. They are easy to carry around.
- Pop Drops Assortment: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Orange, and Grape
- Candy Cane Pop Drops (seasonal)
- Caramel Apple Pops – These are flat lollipops with an apple-flavored hard candy covered in a chewy caramel layer.
- Caramel Apple Pops (original flavor: Green Apple)
- Caramel Apple Orchard Pops (three flavors: Red Macintosh, Green Apple, Golden Delicious)
- Charms Blow Pops – These are like Tootsie Pops, but they have bubble gum in the center instead of a Tootsie Roll.
- Charms Blow Pops Assortment: Cherry, Sour Apple, Grape, Watermelon, Strawberry, Blue Raspberry
- Super Blow Pops
- Blow Pops Minis
- Way-2-Sour Blow Pops
See also
External links
- Official page on Tootsie Pops: http://www.tootsie.com/candy/tootsie-pops from the manufacturer
- Scientific study about the number of licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
