Discovering The Answers To Weird Food Mysteries
By DB
@dgobucks226 (37621)
September 25, 2020 7:11pm CST
If your were a fan of the Tootsie Pop, I definitely was, you were always in a rush to get to the chewy center of that delicious candy. I remember it taking some time to get there, licking away at the hard candy coating. I never thought about just how many licks it does take to reach the center, but thanks to internet browsing I have the answer.
Purdue University did a study using a "Licking Machine" (true) to find out the answer and determined the number to be 364. A regular study was also done by student volunteers who got there with a lot less licks. Which means who really knows for sure what the accurate number really is?
Another popular candy I ate as a youngster was called Pop Rocks. Maybe you've tried them too. Did you ever think about how the company made those candy rocks "pop?" I never did but now I know. It works kind of like Rice Krispies. The rocks contain 600-psi of pressurized carbon dioxide which is released like trapped gas as the candy shells shatter in your mouth.
Aha mysteries solved! Learning about stuff even the weird kind is fun. lol Did you eat these candies? What's your reaction to these food secrets? Oh, and just how many licks did it take those students to get to that tootsie roll center?
Source Info- www.thedailymeal.com
16 people like this
15 responses
@porwest (112928)
• United States
28 Sep 20
I have eaten the Pop Rocks, but while fun, I will admit they were not a favorite of mine growing up. They did have a sort of "novelty" to them, though, for sure. As for the Tootsie Pops, I was never a sucker kind of a guy. Just wasn't my thing. But Tootsie ROLLS were a definite, long time favorite of mine.
As for the licks, that's a lot of licks. I think that might be tiring. I am not even sure I would want to engage that many licks to get to the center of my wife's Tootsie Pop.
Ahem...
Did I actually just say that? I think I did. 
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
29 Sep 20
You did say that!
Pop rocks were fun to eat with that popping reaction when it dissolves in your mouth.
The chewing and your saliva causes the rocks to react with the carbon dioxide gas in them which causes the popping sound. Urban legend said poor Mikey from the "He likes it cereal commercial" gobbled up a bag of Pop Rocks, and then decided to guzzle a can of Coke which “according to folklore” made Little Mikey’s insides burst like a microwaved egg.
They actually took pop rocks off the market for awhile in the 70's. It was untrue and except for the sugar content is safe..
As soon as that outer coating started to dissolve enough, I bit right to the center. Of the candy that is...
1 person likes this
@porwest (112928)
• United States
2 Oct 20
@dgobucks226 Didn't know they took Pop Rocks off the market for a bit.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
26 Sep 20
I don't seem to remember having tootsie pop but I did enjoy a tootsie roll when I was a kid.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
28 Sep 20
@dgobucks226 I've never seen that one at all. We only had tootsie roll here when I was a kid.
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@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Oh no, it is a great candy very popular as a Halloween treat in the U.S. BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
Here is a photo of the tootsie pop (similar to the tootsie roll except coverrd in a hard candy shell...)
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209220)
• United States
26 Sep 20
I heard about that lick study, I thought it was 55...but wait no that is the calorie count...
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209220)
• United States
27 Sep 20
@dgobucks226 They were indeed a novel candy!
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
I probably bit into the center before I reached 55 licks...
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
Pop rocks were fun to eat with that popping reaction when it dissolves in your mouth.1 person likes this
@rebelann (117281)
• El Paso, Texas
27 Sep 20
I'd never want one of those, they are way too sweet for me @dgobucks226
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Yes, I did have a sweet tooth which made my dentist happy 
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502886)
• Italy
28 Sep 20
@dgobucks226 I have never seen them. May be they were not sold in Europe when I was young, now I never look at candies, I love dark chocolate, but not candies.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Here is a photo of the tootsie pop. Maybe you noticed them. I always bit into the pop early to reach the chewy chocolate center.
@dgobucks226 (37621)
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3 Oct 20
I couldn't wait to get to the chewy center. I did not have your patience
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169591)
• United States
26 Sep 20
I did tootsie pops, when I got them at Halloween. I was "old" when Pop Rocks came out. I prefer soft, gooey, chewy candies, though.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
I was a fan of tootsie pops and tootsie rolls too. Yes, I remember them as a Halloween treat too!
Pop rocks were fun to eat with that popping reaction when it dissolves in your mouth.
After getting a few crowns I am retired from eating all of these candies plus pop rocks had to much sugar content although I believe Lickamade was worse. Pure sugar powder in a paper tube yikes!
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
5 Apr 21
Yes, a good one and much easier to eat than tootsie pops And it takes over 250 licks to reach the center 
And it takes over 250 licks to reach the center 1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
29 Sep 20
Urban legend said poor Mikey from the "He likes it cereal commercial" gobbled up a bag of Pop Rocks, and then decided to guzzle a can of Coke which “according to folklore” made Little Mikey’s insides burst like a microwaved egg.
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Pop rocks were fun to eat with that popping reaction when it dissolves in your mouth.
The chewing and your saliva causes the rocks to react with the carbon dioxide gas in them which causes the popping sound. Urban legend said poor Mikey from the "He likes it cereal commercial" gobbled up a bag of Pop Rocks, and then decided to guzzle a can of Coke which “according to folklore” made Little Mikey’s insides burst like a microwaved egg.
They actually took pop rocks off the market for awhile in the 70's. It was untrue and except for the sugar content is safe..
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98157)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
26 Sep 20
That is very interesting. I was not a big fan of Tootsie Rolls but I did enjoy the Tootsie Pop and always crunched my way down to the center. Pop Rocks always made me think my mouth was going to explode. Since you started this topic perhaps you can find out for your next post how good or how bad those awful wax candy things were for us kids and what kind of wax and ingredients they were made of. I sure would like to know. I ate enough wax lips to wax out my insides.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Glad you enjoyed the info. Urban legend said poor Mikey from the "He likes it cereal commercial" gobbled up a bag of Pop Rocks, and then decided to guzzle a can of Coke which “according to folklore” made Little Mikey’s insides burst like a microwaved egg.
They actually took pop rocks off the market for awhile in the 70's. It was untrue and except for the sugar content is safe..
I remember those wax lips and the wax ones which contained sweet color liquids inside. For a future post!
Not the best thing to eat but the paraffin wax was not harmful to consume from what I've read.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Sep 20
I actually had the patience once to find out how many licks it took me to get to the chocolatey center of the chocolate tootsie pop. 414. I guess I wanted to savor it longer.
I wondered about those pop rocks. Interesting info on those. It makes me wonder how good those are for you.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Wow, you beat the machine 
Your tongue must of been tired
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
They actually took pop rocks off the market for awhile. There was a rumor spread that taken with a coke you could burst your insides. It was untrue and except for the sugar content is safe..
Your tongue must of been tired
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, lol.
They actually took pop rocks off the market for awhile. There was a rumor spread that taken with a coke you could burst your insides. It was untrue and except for the sugar content is safe..
@LindaOHio (222896)
• United States
27 Sep 20
I always crunched the candy to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. I remember Pop Rocks. Thanks for the information!
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
Yes, I could not wait to reach that chewy chocolate center either. All that licking would be too much of a workout for my tongue, lol.
BTW: the students averaged only 252 licks to reach the center of the tootsie pop. I guess they were hungrier than the licking machine, and way more than me
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
27 Sep 20
It does sound gross doesn't it. Glad as a kid I did not knowhow it was made. I just liked the popping reaction which made them fun to eat. 
Glad you enjoyed the trivia 
Glad you enjoyed the trivia 
