Whatever Happened to the Chocolate Popsicle?

We've had a record-breaking summer of heat and dry weather here. I found myself, more than once, craving popsicles.

                                              

 This was the go-to treat when I was a kid, walking to the corner store with my friends, each of us buying a different kind of popsicle, cracking them in the middle and sharing the different flavours with each other. I wanted to do that with Chris the other day and I *really* wanted a chocolate popsicle. They were my favorite and I haven't tried to find one in years.

Maybe it's even been decades? But you know how the memory is, it's like no time has passed so I was positive I would find popsicle, and hoping to find chocolate ones.

the lowly orange popsicle serving as an icon of the venerable twin pop
shown here as a sterling silver charm

I'd even settle for the common orange popsicle if I had to, the worst of the bunch.

o

not the actual freezer where I bought the lifesaver frozen thingy, but very similar

 I walked to the closest corner store and peered into the freezer.

I was looking for a popsicle. The one I really wanted, but can never get, is the tri-coloured popsicle: blue, white and pink/red. They could have ditched the red part and just made it blue and white. That would be my preference. Sometimes you can get the blue/white/red in the "rocket" format, but it's not the same to me.

So I got a lifesavers popsicle-like thing today.  It was very yummy but triggered the popsicle memories of my youth.

Popsicle Pete! Where are you my old friend?

My popsicle quest had me trying to remember the last time I actually saw a chocolate popsicle.

fudgsicles are not popsicles

What happened to those?

It turns out that the popsicle I remember is actually called a "twin pop", developed during the Great Depression and made with the intention of sharing with you friends. They were discontinued in 1987. Sheesh. Apparently moms found them too messy and kids didn't get to the second half fast enough so they melted. Hello? Is this a case of "kids today" or what? Sometimes we didn't crack them in half but kept them whole and ate them like that and sometimes they melted CAUSE IT WAS HOT OUT and yeah, sometimes little kids get sticky gooey stuff on their hands. 

NY Times article on the demise of the Twin Popsicle

I think it was probably more likely that the company could make something smaller and charge the same price for it, thereby making more money. 

Popsicle Pete, CEO/CFO/Corp.

things-on-a-stick are always a good bet

I saved a few Popsicle wrappers a few times but never had enough to send away for anything. The wrappers were always super sticky and attracted ants like crazy, and held onto little bits of gravel. Then the goopy stuff got all over your hands and you just threw the wrapper out.

And as if on cue, after we finished our treats and were on our way home, an ice cream truck drove right by us. Look! Rockets right there on the back of the truck. Taunting me.
*shaking fist in the air*

Phooey.

BUT NO POPSICLES!

more on Popsicle Pete:  

 http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-8-most-baffling-food-mascots-all-time_p3/