The Untold Truth Of Blow Pops
When it comes to the ultimate lollipop/bubblegum treat, Blow Pops are the only option. The fruit-flavored lollipops have a sugary hard candy exterior, with a small piece of bubblegum at their center, for a two-in-one sweet treat. Now owned by the Tootsie Roll Industries, Blow Pops have been a staple product from Charms Candy Company since the '70s. And the popularity of the hard candies on a stick hasn't waned throughout the years, with Blow Pops remaining a Halloween must-have and a popular treat all year round.
Blow Pops became one of Charms' most successful products of all-time, and paved the way for other lollipop makers to experiment with putting candy inside a hard exterior. Even as traditional hard candies have fallen out of favor, Blow Pops' ingenious invention and mouth-watering flavors have created a new era for the candy of yesteryear. And considering that Blow Pops have been around for decades, there's a lot of untold history that explains how the candy came to be so popular in the U.S., and why that popularity has remained over the years.
There are 16 different flavors of Blow Pops
Every retro Blow-Pop wrapper hides one of 16 different fruity lollipops and entices you to taste what's inside. Blow Pops have the classic flavors, of course, like cherry or grape. But there are also a few underrated gems that aren't always included in the traditional variety pack you can get at a gas station or grocery store. Strawberry, watermelon and sour apple round out the classic flavors, and they get a bit more experimental from there.
Blow Pops also come in more contemporary flavor varieties, like Kiwi Berry Blast and What A Melon. The most popular, according to the Tootsie company website, is the Blue Razz Berry flavor. The list also includes Cherry Ice, Black Cherry, Black Ice, Blueberry, Crazzberry, Tropicalberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry. So there is a seemingly endless amount of flavors to try if you ever get bored of the original Blow Pops.
Blow Pops hit the market back in the 1970s
Blow Pops may seem like a relatively contemporary candy idea, the lollipops have been on the market since 1973. But the idea came about, and was first patented, in the late '60s (via Candy Funhouse). Charms was known for years prior for making hard candies, some even filled, that led to the creation of their most famous lollipops. Blow Pops are considered to be the first-ever lollipop with a soft bubblegum center.
The invention of Blow Pops can be attributed to three men — Vincent Ciccone, Walter Reid III, and Ross Cameron. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Ciccone in particular was a bit of a genius in the candy field, as he was both a chemist and a candy-maker. He patented more than 20 ideas, including a technique that combined medicine and hard candy to create throat lozenges. NJ.com reports that Reid III, who was the son of the founder of Charms, was running the already successful candy company when Blow Pops were created.
Early iterations of Blow Pops were popular among soldiers in World War II
The early iterations of Charms Blow Pops derived from the company's popular individually wrapped hard candies. Prior to the official creation of the Blow Pop in the '70s, the early versions were a beloved treat for soldiers fighting in World War II (via nj.com). The U.S. Army soldiers enjoyed the candies in their combat rations, as they acted as immediate energy on the battlefield (via Do You Remember?). Since those early days, Charms candies, including Blow Pops, have been included in combat rations following WWII.
After WWII, Charms was competing with other candy companies and their popular hard candy varieties. And that's when Reid III took the company by its helm and helped develop its best-seller, the Blow Pop lollipops, to differentiate the company from other hard candy sweets on the market. And of course, the candy is still popular to this day.
Blow Pops were the best-selling product of all time for Charms
Charms was around for decades prior to the invention of the Blow Pop and the company was doing quite well with its initial small product line. However, Blow Pops are what truly defined the company as a candy-making leader, and forever changed the legacy of Charms for the decades to come. In fact, the Blow Pop is the company's best-selling products of all time. And Charms became the world's largest producer of hard candy in the 1970s, thanks to the invention of the Blow Pop (via Candy Store).
Since those early days, Charms, now owned by Tootsie Roll Industries, has expanded its line of Blow Pop-inspired products. For those looking for the ultimate candy treat, they have Super Blow Pops, which are a larger version of the original lollipops (via Tootsie). They also have Blow Pop Minis, which are hard candies filled with bubblegum, without the stick. So while it's definitely a throwback candy, the manufacturers strive to keep Blow Pops current with new product ideas.
Blow Pops are made in ropes, not spheres
Who hasn't at one point or another unwrapped a Blow Pop and wondered how the confectioners get the bubble gum inside? The process begins similarly to your typical lollipop, but with a literal twist (via eHow). The hard candy coating is mixed together, heated up, and formed into a long snake-like shape to keep it malleable and to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. The bubblegum is made a similar way, formed into another rope similar to the lollipop coating.
While it might seem like each individual Blow Pop is formed in a sphere, it's the rope shapes that are crucial to the process. The bubblegum is wrapped around a small white stick, followed by the candy coating over it. Each component is wrapped around the stick to transform it into a sphere, before cooling down and getting packaged up in the recognizable individual wraps. And after that, the Blow Pops make their way into candy bowls around the world.
Blow Pops are extremely popular in West Virginia
Blow Pops are pretty much universally loved throughout the U.S. considering their long-standing status on the shelves. Plus, who could really hate a bubblegum-filled lollipop? It's a textbook crowdpleaser and far less controversial than other Halloween candies up for debate. But particularly, folks in West Virginia cannot get enough of the classic candy when the spooky season comes around.
According to The DA, Blow Pops are the most popular Halloween candy in the state of West Virginia as of 2018. The state reportedly sells more than 735,000 Blow Pops, roughly 44,123 pounds worth, around Halloween season to pass out to trick-or-treaters, or indulge in by themselves. That's a whole lot of Blow Pop bubbles blown from just one of the 50 states. And an immeasurable amount of licks to get to the center of every Blow Pop.
Blue Razz Berry is the best-selling flavor
The traditional variety pack of Blow Pops contains the usual flavor suspects such as: strawberry, cherry, and sour apple. You know, the basics. But when it comes to the most popular flavor, look no further than the Blue Razz Berry variety. Nothing screams quintessential sugary goodness than a sweet treat that leaves your tongue blue. So it's not a total shock it's the number one best seller for Charms (via Candy Calories).
The Blue Razz Berry flavor is a bit different than a blue Dum-Dum or Jolly Rancher — it's sour and feels like it's fizzing in your mouth. The fruity flavor, paired with the always special bubble gum center, leaves for a perfect piece of candy that everyone will love. And based on the sales history of the Blue Razz Berry flavor, it's clear that many people have a serious love for this lolly.