By Cassie Patton
As the end of October approaches, out come the popular Halloween candies, such as Tootsie Rolls that taste like chocolate, but actually have no trace of it at all.
The famous Tootsie Roll as we know it today was introduced in 1896 by Jewish Austrian immigrant, Leo Hirshfeld, according to historyoasis.com. While Hirshfeld learned how to make candy in the old world, he went on to realize the American Dream by making it big in business and leaving an extraordinary mark in the candy world. Hirschfield started out by experimenting with a “chocolate” flavored candy that would not be susceptible to high levels of heat that causes regular chocolate to melt. This mattered because the first Tootsie Rolls were delivered by horse and buggy, without refrigeration. By 1907, the Tootsie Roll was finally ready for commercial sale.
The website states that Tootsie Rolls were a big hit in the summer as regular chocolates were hard to sell. During the Great Depression (1929-1939), when things such as butter and sugar were considered a luxury of the times, parents found a way to satisfy their child’s sweet tooth by stocking up on the candy. In 1943, a comic strip character was created by cartoonist C.C. Beck and writer Rod Reed, known at the time as Captain Tootsie, to help sell to kids on the homefront. During this time, America had already been engaged with World War II for two years when the Tootsie Roll really kicked off. The Tootsie Roll also had an interesting role in the Korean War. There was a code name known as “Tootsie Roll,” used to request 60mm mortar shells, but a radio operator without the code sheet took the request literally and airdropped the actual candy instead.
Along with the Tootsie Roll came the Tootsie Pop. Many may remember the commercial asking how many licks does it take to get to the center? That answer remains to be seen to this very day.
While the cocoa-flavored Tootsie Roll remains the most popular flavor, Tootsie Fruity Chews became a hit in the 1970s as they came in a variety of flavors including cherry, orange, vanilla, lemon, and lime, along with a selection of other flavors around the holidays.
Cassie Patton, born and raised in Washington state, says she has always enjoyed writing about any topic possible. When not actively writing, she can be found baking up a sweet treat or watching football.
