The Tootsie Pop is a hard candy lollipop with a Tootsie Roll filling at its center. The Tootsie Pop was invented in 1931 by The Sweets Company of America, which changed its name to Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. in 1966.

In addition to chocolate (the original flavor), Tootsie Pops come in a variety of the following fruit flavors: raspberry, cherry, orange, grape, blue raspberry, strawberry, and lemon-lime. Though some have claimed to remember a Watermelon flavored Tootsie Pop, its existence has yet to be proven.

In 1996, Tootsie Roll Industries celebrated their 100th anniversary. As of 2003, sixty-million Tootsie Rolls and twenty-million Tootsie Pops were produced every day.

The commercial

In 1970, Tootsie Roll Industries aired one of the most famous TV commercials of all time, featuring a boy trying to ascertain how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Along with the two Tootsie Roll commercials, this commercial continues to be shown on television today, making them the longest running commercials of all time (^*). (A second Tootsie Pop commercial was created and first aired in 1996, which also continues to be shown on television today).

Boy: Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

Mr. Turtle: I never made it without biting. Ask Mr. Owl.

Boy: Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

Mr. Owl: Let's find out! One... two-HOO... three...

Mr. Owl: Crunch!

Mr. Owl: Three.

Narrator: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

Narrator: Crunch!

Narrator: The world may never know.

According to the official Tootsie Roll website, Tootsie Roll Industries has received over 20,000 letters from children claiming to have solved the riddle since the commercial first aired in 1970. The typical range of responses is between 100 and 5,800 with an average of 600-800. There is no official number, as everyone's saliva and licking method is different.

According to Tootsie Roll Industries, there have been several scientific or pseudo-scientific studies attempting to answer the "How Many Licks?" question, including the creation and testing of two unique "licking machines" by engineering students at Purdue University and the University of Michigan.

After the 1970 TV commercial, Mr. Owl became the mascot for Tootsie Pops. He appears on the packaging and marketing.

Urban legend

Tootsie Roll Pops traditionally were wrapped in paper with icons and symbols, including but not limited to, an American Indian with a bow and arrow. From soon after the introduction of Tootsie Pops from 1931 through the present day (currently generating about 150 letters a week), a rumor has circulated that a wrapper containing the American Indian icon shooting a star could be traded-in for a free Tootsie Roll Pop.

According to Tootsie Roll Industries and web site Snopes.com, this rumor is not true. However, according to Snopes.com, individual merchants have chosen to honor the wrapper legend over the years, allowing people to "win" a free bag.

With the innovation and spread of the Internet and e-mail, many queries to Tootsie Roll Industries are in the form of email. Below is the company's response, dated March 24, 2005, to one such query:

Thank you for your interest in our Tootsie Pop wrappers. We are pleased to have an opportunity to tell the true story about our Tootsie Pop wrappers.

Many years ago, a rumor surfaced that said if the wrapper of a Tootsie Pop with a star was found and returned to the company, a free Tootsie Pop, or any number of things would be sent to the lucky person. We truly don't know why or where this rumor started, as our records do not indicate that our company ever sponsored any type of promotion surrounding images on the wrapper.

We hope we have been able to clarify this matter for you and we thank you for contacting us.

Trivia

• In 2000, rapper Lil' Kim used the popular slogan as a sexual reference and title, "How Many Licks" for her album The Notorious K.I.M.

Confectionery | Tootsie Roll brands