How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? That age-old question sent correspondent Nancy Giles across the country to peel back the story of the chewy Tootsie Roll and its hard-shelled lollipop cousin.
The tale begins in 1896 with Leo Hirschfeld, an Austrian immigrant who created a sturdy, chewable taffy designed not to melt in summer heat. His invention, the Tootsie, was meant to survive warm weather and long commutes when ordinary chocolate would fail. The exact formulation remains a closely guarded secret; the company still keeps the recipe under wraps.
Tootsie Roll Industries, which traces its roots to Hirschfeld’s recipe, is known for its secrecy. Analysts covering the company have often hit a wall when seeking detail. Investment firm Great Lakes, for example, has noted how little the company shares publicly. Still, available figures hint at the brand’s scale: Tootsie Roll reported roughly $550 million in sales in 2012.
The company’s leadership reinforces that old-school, private feel. Longtime chairman Melvin Gordon, in his 90s, and his wife Ellen, the company president in her 80s, maintain a cautious distance from the press. Requests to tour the Chicago factory were turned down, and security at the gates made clear that outside access is limited. The company’s own online video provides the only inside look, claiming the line produces millions of Tootsie Rolls a day.
Giles’ road trip still turned up interesting details. She met candy experts, including a former English professor nicknamed the “candy professor,” who pointed out a curious marketing note: Tootsie Roll packaging never explicitly labels the center as “chocolate,” though many people say it tastes like it. At the factory gate a worker described his personal tactic: “I crunch through after a little bit.” That candid admission echoed the debate immortalized in Tootsie Pop commercials.
The ads famously posed the licking question and featured the wise old owl, who counts “One, two, three—” and then bites straight to the chewy center. Giles tried her own experiment and confessed she, too, eventually crunched through like the owl.
Beyond clever advertising, Tootsie’s longevity has practical roots. Hirschfeld’s formula was built for durability so people could carry and enjoy candy in warm conditions without refrigeration. That practical advantage helped the treat survive generations and become a cultural touchstone.
What persists is the mystique. Between a secret recipe that keeps competitors guessing and a family-led company that resists deep outside scrutiny, Tootsie Roll Industries protects the story behind its candies as carefully as it guards the formula itself. And the question that launched a century of curiosity—how many licks?—remains a small, sweet mystery that keeps people wondering and keeps the brand in conversation.