A Dot in History

by Laurnie Wilson

It seems like everybody and their mother has eaten Dots. These sweet little gumdrops are a mainstay of movie theaters and road trips, alike. And for good reason! There’s something pretty addicting about these little guys. It’s almost impossible to stop after one! If you’re a Dots fan, then you’ll definitely dig this week’s throwback. We’re about to do a little Dots History 101. So settle down, class! You may just learn something new.

It Started with a Crow

The story of Dots actually begins with Crows, Dots’ black licorice forefather. Today, black licorice is a pretty polarizing flavor, but back in the 1890’s when Crows came out, black licorice was fan favorite!

An urban legend says that Black Crows were originally supposed to be called Black Rose, but that the printer messed everything up! But as fun as that story is, historians report that it’s probably not true.

Dots Galore

It wasn’t until 1945 that Dots as we know them came onto the scene. Originally made by the Mason Company, the original flavors included cherry, strawberry, lemon, lime, and orange. And if those sound familiar, it’s because they’re the same flavors you’ll find in boxes today!

In 1972, Tootsie Roll Industries bought the Dots line and continues to manufacture them to this day! And they don’t just manufacture them, they really manufacture them. Would you believe that they produce more than 4 billion dots every year in their Chicago plant? No? Well it’s true! That’s a LOT of gumdrops, don’t you think? You could have quite a few movie marathons with those.

A Dot A Day

As with any successful candy, other flavor lines have come to fruition over the years. Tropical Dots, Yogurt Dots, and Sour Dots exist, but nothing seems to come close to the originals.

Plus, since the flavors in each box are distributed randomly, you could hypothetically get all of the flavors, or just one or two! How’s that for a surprise treat?  And, as it turns out, despite their age, Dots are a totally modern candy! They’re vegan approved (according to PETA), gluten-free, nut-free, and Kosher certified. Not bad, eh? We thought so.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_(candy)
• https://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-dots.htm

Image Sources:

• https://www.collectingcandy.com/wordpress/?p=1581
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crows_(candy)
• https://www.flipflopspearlsandwine.com/2012_10_01_archive.html