Tootsie Pop
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A Tootsie Pop (known as Tutsi Chupa Pop in Latin America) is a
hard candy A hard candy (American English), or boiled sweet (British English), is a sugar candy prepared from one or more sugar-based syrups that is heated to a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F) to make candy. Among the many hard candy varieti ...
lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...
filled with a
chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...
-flavored chewy
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Roll () is a chocolate Taffy (candy), 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 Manufacturing, manu ...
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. The company changed its name to
Tootsie Roll Industries Tootsie Roll Industries () is an American manufacturer of confectionery based in Chicago, Illinois. Its best-known products include the namesake Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops. Tootsie Roll Industries currently markets its brands internationall ...
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 A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...
at the same time he was chewing his
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Roll () is a chocolate Taffy (candy), 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 Manufacturing, manu ...
. 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.


Commercials

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 1969. In the original television ad, a questioning boy (voiced by
Buddy Foster Lucius Fisher "Buddy" Foster IV (born July 12, 1957) is an American former child actor. He is the older brother of actress and director Jodie Foster. Beginning his career at the age of eight, he had television roles from the late 1960s through th ...
) proposes the question to a
cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
(voiced by Frank Nelson), a
fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
(voiced by
Paul Frees Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986), better known as Paul Frees, was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass and Walt Disney the ...
), a
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
(voiced by Ralph James) and an
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
(voiced by
Paul Winchell Paul Winchell (''Birth name, né'' Wilchinsky; December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, humanitarian, and inventor whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he hosted ''The Pa ...
). 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."Newcomer, Emily (2021
"Tootsie Pop: Memorable Childhood Candy Commercial
" Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing: Vol. 7 : Iss. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/lxl/vol7/iss1/8
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 Herschel Bernardi (October 30, 1923 – May 9, 1986) was an American actor and singer. He is best known for his supporting role in the television detective series ''Peter Gunn'' (1958–1961) for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emm ...
asking, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie pop? The world may never know." 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. The 15-second commercial (which is still broadcast today as of 2025) 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 Associated Production Music, LLC (commonly known as APM Music) is an American production music company headquartered in Hollywood, California, a joint venture between Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group. APM Music's cata ...
track "Crepe Suzette" (composed by Cyril Watters) playing in the background. The question still stands unanswered. 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?".


Rumors and set attempts


Redeemable wrappers

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 Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
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. One convenience store in
Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...
, for example, gave candy away when the children asked. Also, in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies o ...
,
Osco Drug Osco Drug and Sav-on Drugs were the names of a pair of chain pharmacies that operated in the United States. Osco Drug was founded by the Skaggs family. Alpha Beta grocery store was purchased by American Stores in 1961. Skaggs Drug Centers bou ...
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 Chico ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 United Sta ...
, where a
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
store manager in the Pleasant Valley area, said she had to stop because it had become too expensive. 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.


Lick tests

A student study by
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
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. Yet another study by the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
concluded that it takes 412 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. A 1996 study by undergraduate students at
Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...
concluded that it takes a median of 146 licks (range 70–222) to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. In 2014, the Tribology Laboratory at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
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.


Flavors


Standard

* Cherry * Chocolate * Grape * Orange * Red Raspberry


Tropical Stormz

* 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


Non-standard

* Pomegranate (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2012) * Blueberry (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2011) * Lemon-Lime (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2004) * Blue Raspberry (rotated as a "sixth Flavor" in 2004) * Watermelon (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2004) * Strawberry (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2004) * Strawberry-Watermelon (rotated as a "sixth flavor" in 2015) 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 .


Seasonal

* Candy Cane (Christmas seasonal flavor, also available as Pop Drops) *Peppermint (Christmas Flavor) * Caramel (Halloween seasonal flavor, but seems to be sold all year) *Strawberry-Vanilla, Cherry (Valentine's Day)


"Sweet & Sour Bunch" pops

The "Sweet & Sour Bunch" flavors came in a package of eight Assortment pops, at .50 oz. / 14.8 grams each. * Sour Apple * Sour Blackberry * Sour Blue Raspberry * Sour Lemon * Sweet Cherry * Sweet Grape * Sweet Orange * Sweet Raspberry


Tootsie Fruit Chews Pops

Hard candy matched with a complementary Tootsie Fruit Chew flavor core. * Orange Pop/Lime Center * Strawberry Pop/Lemon Center * Lemon Lime Pop/Orange Center * Blue Raspberry Pop/Cherry Center


Sister products

*
Tootsie Rolls 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 Indust ...
– the original Tootsie candy on which Tootsie Pops were based * Tootsie Pop Drops – Smaller Tootsie Pops candy without the stick, made to be portable and often sold in a pocket package. ** Pop Drops Assortment: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Orange, and Grape ** Candy Cane Pop Drops (seasonal) *
Caramel Apple Pops Caramel Apple Pops are a brand of lollipops manufactured by Tootsie Roll Industries. The lollipops combine a Apple, green apple-flavored hard candy covered with a caramel coating reminiscent of a caramel apple. There are two additional flavors ava ...
– flat lollipop of apple-flavored hard candy, coated with a chewy caramel layer ** Caramel Apple Pops (original flavor: Green Apple a.k.a. Granny Smith) ** Caramel Apple Orchard Pops (three flavors: Red Macintosh, Green Apple, Golden Delicious) * Charms Blow Pops – Tootsie Pops with
bubble gum Bubble gum (or bubblegum) is a type of chewing gum, designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. Composition In modern chewing gum, if natural rubber such as chicle is used, it must pass several purity and cleanliness tests. However, ...
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

*
List of confectionery brands This is a list of brand name confectionery products. Sugar confectionery includes candies (''sweets'' in British English), candied nuts, chocolates, chewing gum, bubble gum, pastillage, and other confections that are made primarily of sugar. In s ...


References


External links


Official page on Tootsie Pops
from the manufacturer
Scientific study about the number of licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
Brand name confectionery Tootsie Roll Industries brands Products introduced in 1931 Candy Lollipops {{Commonscat, Tootsie Pop