Tootsie Roll: The Penny Candy That Became America's Biggest Candy Empire
Tootsie Roll: The Penny Candy That Became America's Biggest Candy Empire
In 1896, Leo Hirschfield — an Austrian Jewish immigrant to the United States and the son of a candy maker — started making a new kind of chocolate candy at a small shop in Brooklyn, New York. He wanted something that would not melt in the summer heat, something that could be sold cheaply, and something that could be individually wrapped to set it apart from the bulk candy that filled most shop jars of the era. He named the candy after his daughter, Clara, whose nickname was Tootsie. The price was one penny. That penny candy became the first individually wrapped confectionery product in American history, the candy that soldiers carried into two world wars, and the origin point of one of the largest candy empires in the United States. For more on American heritage candy, see our American sweets older than your grandparents guide.
The First Individually Wrapped Penny Candy
The specific innovation that made the Tootsie Roll significant was not its flavour but its packaging. Before Hirschfield's candy, American penny candy was sold loose. Hirschfield wrapped each candy individually — keeping the product clean, preventing pieces from sticking together, and giving each piece its own distinct identity. Hirschfield's candy also used cocoa, sugar and condensed milk in a specific combination that produced what the patent described as a 'peculiar mellow consistency' — firm enough to hold its shape in warm weather, soft enough to chew. It was not chocolate in the strict sense, but it delivered the flavour of chocolate in a format that could survive an August afternoon.
Two World Wars and a Penny Candy
Tootsie Rolls went to war twice. During the Second World War, the US military included Tootsie Rolls in every American soldier's field ration: non-perishable, did not melt, provided rapid sugar energy, and small enough to carry without adding burden to a heavy pack. The Korean War produced the most remarkable story in the candy's history. During the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in November 1950, a regiment of US Marines found themselves encircled by Chinese forces in temperatures as low as minus 36C. A radio operator called for resupply using the code word for 60mm mortar shells: 'Tootsie Rolls.' The operator who received the call was not familiar with the code. He read the message literally and arranged an airdrop of actual Tootsie Roll candy. The Marines ate them — and discovered that softened Tootsie Roll, shaped around a bullet hole or crack in a fuel line, would freeze solid at those temperatures and create a temporary functional seal. Marines used Tootsie Rolls to plug holes in jeep radiators and fuel lines. Survivors of the Chosin Reservoir have spoken about Tootsie Rolls in interviews for decades since.
The Tootsie Pop and the Question That Has Never Been Answered
In 1931, an employee named Luke Weisgram was chewing a Tootsie Roll while eating a lollipop. The combination suggested a product. The Tootsie Pop — a hard-candy lollipop with a Tootsie Roll centre — launched in 1931 and was an immediate success. In 1969, the advertising agency Doner Company created what would become one of the most watched commercials in American television history. A small boy asks animals how many licks it takes to reach the Tootsie Roll centre of a Tootsie Pop. Mr. Owl accepts the pop, counts two licks — then bites. 'Three,' says Mr. Owl. The world may never know. The commercial ran in various edits for over fifty years. Mr. Owl was voiced by Paul Winchell, who also provided the voice of Tigger in Disney's Winnie the Pooh films. Academic studies attempting to determine the actual number have produced estimates ranging from 144 to more than a thousand, depending on methodology.
The Empire: Acquisitions That Built a Portfolio
The Tootsie Roll story from the 1970s onwards is largely a story of acquisition. Dots (1972) — the fruit-flavoured gumdrop that has sat in American cinema concession stands since 1945. Blow Pops and Charms (1988) — the $65 million acquisition brought in Blow Pops, the bubble gum-filled lollipop, and Charms Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy, making Tootsie Roll Industries the world's largest lollipop producer overnight. Junior Mints (1993) — created in 1949 and named after the Broadway show Junior Miss, Junior Mints are the dark chocolate mint that became the defining cinema candy for a generation of American moviegoers. Dubble Bubble (2004) — the original American branded bubble gum, created in 1928 by Walter Diemer, an accountant who stumbled on a formula that could blow a bubble while experimenting in his spare time. For the full bubblegum story, see our bubblegum complete guide.
The Range at Sweet and Glory
The Tootsie Industries range at Sweet and Glory spans all six brands across a very broad active range. Tootsie Rolls from retail through to large bulk bags. Tootsie Frooties across a range of fruit flavours. Tootsie Pops in original and Wildberry box formats. Junior Mints, Dots, Blow Pops, Charms Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy and Dubble Bubble each have dedicated ranges. The seasonal offer is particularly strong — Ghost Dots and Witches Brew Cotton Candy for Halloween, Tootsie Roll Elf Bites and Dots Lumps of Coal for Christmas, and the USA Flag Midgees for the 4th of July.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many licks does it take to get to the centre of a Tootsie Pop? Nobody agrees — which is the whole joke. Real studies have tried: a Purdue University licking machine averaged 364 licks (their human volunteers managed 252), a University of Michigan machine took 411, and a group of school students averaged 144. So the honest answer is somewhere between roughly 144 and 411, depending on who (or what) is doing the licking. As Mr. Owl and the advert always said: the world may never know.
Are Tootsie Rolls chocolate? Not strictly. The original recipe uses cocoa, sugar and condensed milk in a combination that delivers a chocolate flavour but isn't technically chocolate. Leo Hirschfield designed it that way in 1896 so it wouldn't melt in summer heat — firm enough to hold its shape on a hot day, soft enough to chew. That heat-stability is exactly why it went to war in soldiers' rations.
Why did soldiers use Tootsie Rolls in the Korean War? During the 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir, US Marines requested mortar shells using the code word “Tootsie Rolls” — and an operator who didn't know the code airdropped actual sweets. In the extreme cold the Marines found that softened Tootsie Roll would freeze solid, so they used it to plug bullet holes in fuel lines and radiators. It's one of the most remarkable stories in candy history.
What brands does Tootsie Roll Industries own? Far more than the Tootsie Roll itself. The company owns Tootsie Pops, Frooties, Junior Mints, Dots, Blow Pops, Charms, Charms Fluffy Stuff cotton candy and Dubble Bubble — built up through decades of acquisitions, making it one of the largest candy companies in the US and the world's biggest lollipop producer.
Where can I buy Tootsie Roll products wholesale in the UK? Sweet and Glory stocks the full Tootsie Industries range wholesale — Tootsie Rolls, Frooties, Pops, Junior Mints, Dots, Blow Pops, Charms and Dubble Bubble — with no minimum order and fast UK delivery. Create a free account to browse and order. For Retailers: The Tootsie Industries Opportunity One company, every occasion. The breadth of the Tootsie Industries portfolio means a single supplier relationship covers the American theatre candy category (Junior Mints, Dots, Tootsie Pops), the lollipop category (Blow Pops, Charms), the gum category (Dubble Bubble), the cotton candy category (Fluffy Stuff), the chewy candy category (Tootsie Rolls, Frooties) and both Halloween and Christmas seasonal lines. For retailers building an American candy section, this is unusual range depth from one brand family. Browse the Tootsie brand page for the full selection. For display advice, see our American candy section setup guide.
No minimum order. Free first parcel on orders over £150 ex VAT (additional boxes £7.10 each). Free pallet delivery over £650 ex VAT. Dispatched from Manchester.
Related guides: Hot Tamales complete UK guide · Bubblegum: the complete guide · American sweets older than your grandparents · American candy section setup guide · Most popular American sweets UK
Are Tootsie Rolls chocolate? Not strictly. The original recipe uses cocoa, sugar and condensed milk in a combination that delivers a chocolate flavour but isn't technically chocolate. Leo Hirschfield designed it that way in 1896 so it wouldn't melt in summer heat — firm enough to hold its shape on a hot day, soft enough to chew. That heat-stability is exactly why it went to war in soldiers' rations.
Why did soldiers use Tootsie Rolls in the Korean War? During the 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir, US Marines requested mortar shells using the code word “Tootsie Rolls” — and an operator who didn't know the code airdropped actual sweets. In the extreme cold the Marines found that softened Tootsie Roll would freeze solid, so they used it to plug bullet holes in fuel lines and radiators. It's one of the most remarkable stories in candy history.
What brands does Tootsie Roll Industries own? Far more than the Tootsie Roll itself. The company owns Tootsie Pops, Frooties, Junior Mints, Dots, Blow Pops, Charms, Charms Fluffy Stuff cotton candy and Dubble Bubble — built up through decades of acquisitions, making it one of the largest candy companies in the US and the world's biggest lollipop producer.
Where can I buy Tootsie Roll products wholesale in the UK? Sweet and Glory stocks the full Tootsie Industries range wholesale — Tootsie Rolls, Frooties, Pops, Junior Mints, Dots, Blow Pops, Charms and Dubble Bubble — with no minimum order and fast UK delivery. Create a free account to browse and order. For Retailers: The Tootsie Industries Opportunity One company, every occasion. The breadth of the Tootsie Industries portfolio means a single supplier relationship covers the American theatre candy category (Junior Mints, Dots, Tootsie Pops), the lollipop category (Blow Pops, Charms), the gum category (Dubble Bubble), the cotton candy category (Fluffy Stuff), the chewy candy category (Tootsie Rolls, Frooties) and both Halloween and Christmas seasonal lines. For retailers building an American candy section, this is unusual range depth from one brand family. Browse the Tootsie brand page for the full selection. For display advice, see our American candy section setup guide.
No minimum order. Free first parcel on orders over £150 ex VAT (additional boxes £7.10 each). Free pallet delivery over £650 ex VAT. Dispatched from Manchester.
Related guides: Hot Tamales complete UK guide · Bubblegum: the complete guide · American sweets older than your grandparents · American candy section setup guide · Most popular American sweets UK
