“Whatever It Is I Think I see…”

On this day in 1896, an Austrian Jewish immigrant and son of an Austrian candy maker opened a shop in New York City. His name was Leo Hirschfield and, while the name may be unfamiliar, the candy he soon created probably isn’t. And no, I’m not talking about Bromangelon Jelly Powder, a gelatin dessert powder that eventually became the precursor to the much-more successful Jell-O.

No, in this humble shop, Leo Hirschfield invented something much more iconic, mainstream, and something you may have found in your child’s Valentine candy bag just last week:

The Tootsie Roll.

Before A/C and refrigerators, chocolates were rarely sold during the summer months, with candy-sellers instead prioritizing treats like taffy and marshmallows, which could stand some heat without melting. But, with Tootsie Rolls, Hirschfield created the first individually wrapped chocolate-flavored candy that wouldn’t dissolve in the summer sun.

That’s right. Tootsie Rolls actually aren’t chocolate. But, back then, if you had a craving during the summer months, it was the only thing on the market that could satisfy it. Plus, it was cheap–selling for only a penny–which was a huge factor in candy sales.

So what exactly is a Tootsie Roll then?

Tootsie Rolls are actually pulled candies, much like taffy, which makes them light and porous. The difference between them and taffy, however, is, after pulling, the candy is baked at a low temperature for about two hours, a process that Hirschfield actually patented. This gave the candy its “peculiar mellow consistency,” in addition to helping it maintain its shape and not melt.

The inexpensive treat soon became a Depression-era favorite, which was only further bolstered with the outbreak of World War II, where Tootsie Rolls (as well as other chocolate candy) was sent to the front lines as a form of old-fashioned “energy bar” (or roll). This government contract allowed Joseph Rubin & Sons of Brooklyn, who acquired the Hirschfield-led candy company in 1935, to continue producing the sweets while many other factories were shut down for the war effort.

And the love affair with the chocolate-flavored taffy-like candy has never stopped.

But did you ever wonder where the name “Tootsie Roll” came from?

The candy was named after Hirschfield’s daughter, Clara, who nickname was–you guessed it–“Tootsie.”