Guide Note

The Tootsie Roll is a chewy chocolaty candy that has been manufactured in the United States since 1896.

Fast Facts

1. Inventor: Leo Hirshfield
2. Named after Hirshfield's daughter's nickname "Tootsie"
3. Produced since 1896
4. Jingle recorded in 1976 is still used today
5. 60 million Tootsie Rolls produced daily (2003)
6. Headquarters: Chicago, IL
7. One of the world's bestselling candies

Leo Hirshfield, an Austrian immigrant, came to the United States in 1896 with his recipe for a chocolate-flavored, chewy candy, which he made in a small shop in New York City. Hirshfield named the candy after his five-year-old daughter, whose nickname was "Tootsie" and the Tootsie Roll became a popular American candy.

A cross between a caramel candy and fudge, Tootsie Rolls are made of sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (Trans Fat), condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, orange extract and artificial flavors.