Hi there! I’m John Green, and welcome to Mental Floss! Have you ever wondered how many licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop? Well, a licking machine at Purdue University discovered it takes about 364 licks. But let’s not waste time licking Tootsie Pops because we have a bunch of cool candy facts to explore today!
Ever gotten a mystery-flavored Dum Dum with question marks on the wrapper? Don’t worry, it’s not a strange flavor. It’s just a mix of two flavors when one ends and another begins on the production line.
If you’re trying to smell nice, forget about colognes that make you smell like a lumberjack. A study by the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago found that women love the scent of Good and Plenty candy mixed with cucumber!
Did you know red M&M’s disappeared in 1976? People were worried about a dye that might cause cancer, even though M&M’s didn’t use it. To make everyone feel better, they replaced red with orange. Red M&M’s made a comeback 11 years later.
M&M’s missed a big chance in 1982 when they turned down a movie deal. Instead of M&M’s, E.T. fell in love with Reese’s Pieces, making Hershey’s a part of movie history!
If you love Nerds candy, you might have liked Nerds breakfast cereal in the ’80s. It had tangy flavors but wasn’t very popular.
During World War II, the U.S. Army asked Hershey to make a chocolate bar that didn’t taste great. They wanted it for soldiers, but it ended up being pretty unappetizing!
Let’s bust some myths! Swallowing gum won’t keep it in your stomach for years; it just passes through. And drinking soda after eating Pop Rocks won’t make you explode, but you might burp!
Finding a star or an American Indian on your Tootsie Pop wrapper won’t get you a free sucker. And did you know Tootsie Rolls are made with leftover Tootsie Rolls from the day before?
If you lined up all the candy corn made each year, it would wrap around the Earth 4.25 times!
Three Musketeers wasn’t named after the book; it originally had three flavors: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. Starburst were first called Opal Fruits in 1960, and Lifesavers started as just peppermint before adding more flavors.
Pez comes from the German word for peppermint. Milky Ways were named after a popular milkshake in the 1920s, not the galaxy. The Charleston Chew got its name from the Charleston dance.
The Fruit Stripes zebra is a memorable mascot, and Junior Mints were too big to be used in a famous Seinfeld episode.
Neco Wafers were so loved in the 1930s that they went to the South Pole with soldiers. During the Great Depression, Goobers were sold as a nourishing lunch for just a nickel.
President Ronald Reagan loved jellybeans so much that Jelly Belly made a special flavor for his inauguration.
Finally, the Baby Ruth candy bar wasn’t named after baseball star Babe Ruth. The Curtis Candy Company claimed it was named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, but that wasn’t true.
Thanks for joining me on this sweet journey! If you have any amazing questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. And remember, stay awesome!
Try creating your own mystery flavor by mixing two different candies. Document the process and describe the new flavor you discover. Share your findings with the class and see if others can guess the flavors you combined!
Conduct a scent experiment by pairing different candies with various scents, like cucumber or mint. Record which combinations are most appealing to your classmates. Discuss why certain scents might be more attractive than others.
Create a timeline of significant events in candy history, such as the disappearance of red M&M’s or the introduction of Reese’s Pieces in E.T. Present your timeline to the class and explain the impact of each event on candy culture.
Choose a candy myth, like swallowing gum or the Pop Rocks and soda explosion, and research the truth behind it. Prepare a short presentation to debunk the myth and educate your classmates with the facts.
Using the fact that candy corn could wrap around the Earth 4.25 times, calculate how many pieces of candy corn are produced each year. Present your calculations and discuss the scale of candy production in the world.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to Mental Floss! Do you know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? According to a licking machine at Purdue University, it’s 364. But we don’t have time to lick a Tootsie Pop ourselves because we have a lot of candy facts to cover today.
Let’s dive in! The next time you get one of those mystery-flavored Dum Dums with question marks on the wrapper, rest assured that you’re not going to get a weird flavor. It’s just what happens when one flavor ends on the production line and another one starts—there’s a brief moment of flavor mingling.
If you’ve been investing in cologne that makes you smell like a lumberjack or a professional surfer, you’re doing it wrong. According to a study by the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, the scent that women find most appealing is a mix of Good and Plenty candy and cucumber.
You may remember that red M&M’s were taken out of circulation in 1976 due to concerns over a dye that was suspected to be a carcinogen. M&M’s didn’t actually contain that dye, but it made consumers feel better to find orange candies instead of red ones. The red M&M made its way back into the package 11 years later.
M&M’s isn’t hurting for brand recognition, but the Mars company probably regretted turning down a big product placement in 1982. Instead of having E.T. fall in love with M&M’s, he was paired with Reese’s Pieces, and now history belongs to Hershey’s.
If you love Nerds candy, you might have also enjoyed Nerds breakfast cereal in the ’80s, which was a mix of tangy flavors. It was not very popular.
During World War II, the U.S. Army challenged the Hershey Company to produce a chocolate bar that didn’t taste very good, resulting in a ration bar that soldiers found quite unappetizing.
Let me dispel a myth: if you swallow chewing gum, it does not stay in your digestive system for years. It will just pass through like anything else. Another myth is about Pop Rocks and soda—drinking soda after eating Pop Rocks won’t cause any explosions; you’ll just burp.
Finding a star or an American Indian on your Tootsie Pop wrapper does not earn you a free sucker. The original recipe for Tootsie Rolls included leftover Tootsie Rolls from the previous day, a process that still continues today.
If you laid out all the candy corn kernels end to end each year, they would wrap around the Earth 4.25 times.
Three Musketeers was not named after the famous novel; it originally came in three flavors: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate.
Starburst were originally called Opal Fruits when they first came out in 1960. Lifesavers were just peppermint-flavored at first, but soon expanded to include other flavors.
Pez comes from the German word for peppermint. Milky Ways were named after a popular milkshake in the 1920s, not the galaxy.
The Charleston Chew is named after the Charleston dance. The Fruit Stripes zebra mascot is memorable, and Junior Mints were not used in a famous Seinfeld episode due to their size.
Neco Wafers were so popular in the 1930s that they were taken to the South Pole for soldiers. During the Great Depression, Goobers were marketed as a nourishing lunch for a nickel.
Ronald Reagan had a jellybean addiction, and Jelly Belly even created a special flavor for his inauguration.
Lastly, the Baby Ruth candy bar was not named after the baseball player Babe Ruth, despite the claims. The Curtis Candy Company argued that it was named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, but that was not true.
Thanks for watching! If you have a mind-blowing question, please leave it in the comments. Don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any inappropriate or potentially offensive content while maintaining the essence of the original transcript.
Candy – A sweet food made with sugar or other sweeteners, often flavored and sometimes containing chocolate, fruits, or nuts. – In the early 20th century, candy became a popular treat for soldiers during wartime, providing them with quick energy.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Understanding the history of ancient civilizations helps us learn how societies have evolved over time.
Flavors – The distinct tastes of foods or drinks, often created by combining various ingredients. – Scientists study how different flavors can affect our perception of taste and smell.
Chocolate – A food product made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, often sweetened and flavored. – The history of chocolate dates back to ancient Mesoamerican cultures, where it was consumed as a bitter beverage.
Soldiers – Members of an army, trained to fight and defend their country. – During World War II, soldiers relied on ration packs that included chocolate bars for quick energy.
Myths – Traditional stories, often involving supernatural beings or events, that explain natural or social phenomena. – Ancient Greek myths often include tales of gods and heroes that explain the origins of the world.
Depression – A period of severe economic downturn, often characterized by high unemployment and low production. – The Great Depression of the 1930s had a significant impact on global economies and societies.
Ingredients – Substances used in the preparation of food or other products. – Scientists analyze the ingredients in processed foods to ensure they are safe for consumption.
Scents – Distinctive smells, often pleasant, that are produced by certain substances. – Researchers study how different scents can influence human emotions and behavior.
Production – The process of creating goods and services, often involving the use of raw materials and labor. – The industrial revolution marked a significant increase in the production of goods, transforming economies worldwide.
