The Famous Question

The question How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? was first answered by Mr. Owl in 1969. I can't respond to the original question, but today I got to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop without biting.

I have never been able to eat a Tootsie Roll Pop without crunching through the candy shell to get to the soft middle. In my opinion, the combination of hard and chewy just can't be beat. I was challenged to complete this activity, though, so I decided to give it my best.

I stopped at a local gas station/convenience store and bought a cherry Tootsie Roll Pop for 10 cents. (What a surprise...I didn't know you could buy anything for 10 cents anymore!) I was extremely hungry and decided not to wait till I got home to unwrap the pop and stick it in my mouth. At first, all I tasted was the cherry sucker. However, about halfway through I got a distinct tootsie roll flavor. When my treat became the texture of Tootsie Roll, I decided I had reached the center and chewed the rest up.

I can't tell you exactly how many licks it takes, because I cheated and used a combination of licks and sucks. Licking requires one free hand which is hard to do while you're driving. I do know it took about a half-hour from unwrapping the pop to tossing the stick in the trashcan.