Tootsie Roll

In the late nineteenth century, the word tootsie was a slang word for a girl or sweetheart. In 1896, Leo Hirschfield, an immigrant from Austria, began making the small, log-shaped, chewy chocolate caramel in his candy store in New York City. In 1905, he named the candy after his daughter, Clara, who was nicknamed “Tootsie.” Hirschfield began manufacturing Tootsie Rolls, which became the first penny candy to be individually wrapped. The company was named Sweets Company of America, and in 1917 it began advertising nationally. In 1931 the Tootsie Pop was introduced—a spherical lollipop with a soft Tootsie-Roll center. During World War II, Tootsie Rolls were placed in ration kits, mainly because the candy could survive various climatic conditions. After the war, the company targeted its advertising to children, sponsoring popular television shows such as “Howdy Doody,” “Rin Tin Tin,” and “Rocky & Bullwinkle.”