A Sucker For Dum Dums

by Laurnie Wilson

Dum Dums Connection

At some point in your life, you’ve probably encountered Dum Dums Lollipops. As a small, sugar-seeking girl, I distinctly remember being offered a Dum Dum at the drive-thru bank teller and after completing a doctor’s appointment. There just seems to be something conciliatory about the spherical, sweet joys of Dum Dums, and there has been for 90 years!

Dum Dums Fabulous Flavors

Akron Candy Company invented these sugary treats in 1924. Back then, the original flavors were Lemon, Lime, Orange, Coconut-Pineapple, Cherry, Grape, and Butterscotch. Over the years, a number of flavors rotated in and out. But it wasn’t until 1995 that my favorite, Blu raspberry, was added to the mix. It was perfect timing, it seems, as by the time I could ask for one by name, my favorite flavor was already well established!

Believe it or not, that was the original intention of I.C. Bahr, the Sales Manager at Akron Candy Company, and the man behind the name. He reportedly chose to call them Dum Dums since it was easy for children to say. And I’ll admit, it definitely worked for me!

Dum Dums for All

These days, Dum Dums are made by Spangler, which churns out 10 million of them per day and 2.4 billion of them per year! Now that’ll give you quite a sugar high! Current flavors include Blu raspberry, Cream Soda, Watermelon, Root Beer, Sour Apple, Cotton Candy, Butterscotch, Cherry, Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Grape, Blueberry, Raspberry, Lemonade, Peach-Mango, Orange, Fruit Punch, and Mystery Flavor! But, they rotate 2-3 new flavors into the assortment every year, so there’s always something different to try.

To create those new flavors, flavor lab employees work with a list of 400 flavor ideas! They must have some pretty productive brainstorming sessions to make a list that long! These candy aficionados certainly seem to know what they’re doing. After all, we can all enjoy the sweet results.