11.13.2011

Banana Tootsie Pops - yes, it sucks!

Banana Tootsie Pop

Since joining the Candy Addict staff, I have found my usual proclivities for candy changing. One such change has been an added addiction to lollipops. I typically find myself inundated with so many candies that it’s nice to retreat to a lollipop, a candy that is small, filling, and pleasant if only for the fact that your hands can’t get sticky or gooey from consuming it.

At the All Candy Expo, there was an assortment of lollipops to sample, but one piqued my interest more than any other: the new Banana Tootsie Pop. I have long been a fan of Tootsie Pops, and banana seemed like a great flavor. I mean, who doesn’t like chocolate/mockolate and banana together?

So I grabbed a handful of the suckers each of the three days knowing that not only I, but also many of my friends would be delighted to see what the folks at Tootsie had whipped up for us.

The candy is a dark yellow, lacking in fragrance, and frankly, doesn’t seem like much to look at. But you don’t look at candy, you eat it; I was willing to forgive it’s aesthetic flaws in exchange for a great taste. Unfortunately, that trade-off never occurred.

The banana flavor isn’t very revealing, and when it does manifest, it shows up as a chemical banana flavor that I dislike. There are a lot of types of artificial banana flavors in the confection world, and this one most resembles the flavor of banana Runts.

Now, some people love banana Runts (I think they are the most popular of the five flavors), but I am not one of them. When chewed with the center, something I did because I didn’t think I could last that long without chewing, the poor flavor was slightly assuaged.

The main problem with the banana shell mixing with the Tootsie Roll center is that, essentially, all you’re tasting is the Tootsie Roll. The banana flavor is so muted that the center overpowers any banana flavor, which disappointed my thoughts of a harmonious melding of the two.

I’m sad that these were not as successful as the Pomegranate Tootsie Pops that debuted last year at the ACE. Lovers of this sort of banana flavor will most likely enjoy these, but I think a good number of us will stick to the original flavors.

Since joining the Candy Addict staff, I have found my usual proclivities for candy changing. One such change has been an added addiction to lollipops . I typically find myself inundated with so many candies that it’s nice to retreat to a lollipop, a candy that is small, filling, and pleasant if only ...» more Dogmeat