Candy: Tootsie Rolls

How did tootsie rolls get their name?

Tootsie Rolls are named after the inventor’s daughter.

I wonder how much Clara was teased when her classmates found out a candy was named after her? Did she ever escape being asked for free candy? Did selfish boys think she was supposed to be “sweet” and give them whatever affection they wanted? Did she hate her pet name but her father loved it?

And if, like me, you thought tootsie as a pet name referred to being very flatulent, apparently, “Toots” and its variations was a common term of endearment given to women in the late 19th to mid 20th centuries.

What role did Tootsie Rolls play in wars?

In WWII, Tootsie Rolls were given to soldiers because they didn’t melt like regular chocolate.

In the Korean War, Marines used Tootsie Rolls to repair bullet holes, presumably in equipment. They plastered the warm candy onto the hole and it stayed when the candy froze. 

What flavor are Tootsie Rolls?

Traditional Tootsie Rolls have cocoa and a fruit flavor. Looking at different recipes for making Tootsie Rolls knock-offs at home, often, no fruit extract is used. Some sites suggest that Tootsie Rolls have an orange undertone flavor.

Today, there are also other flavors of Tootsie Rolls made by the Tootsie Roll company. Vanilla is one example.

How many Tootsie Rolls are sold in a year?

I couldn’t find out how many Tootsie Rolls are sold each year in the U.S. Stock Analysis says that Tootsie Roll Industries had a fiscal year 2022 revenue of over $725 M. That’s for all the company’s products, though, not just Tootsie Rolls.