A Brief History
Double Bubble, also known as Blow Pops or Dubble Bubbles in certain regions, has its roots in the early 20th century. The first records of similar products date back to the 1920s and 1930s when bubble gum manufacturers began creating bubble gums with a more substantial center, typically made from sugar, corn syrup, and water. However, Double Bubble as we know it https://doublebubble.org.uk/ today emerged during World War II in the United States.
The original formula for Double Bubble was developed by Walter Diemer, an accountant who moonlighted as a chemist at Fleer Chewing Gum Company (later known as Fleer Corporation). In 1928, he experimented with various formulas and created a soft, chewy bubble gum that could be blown into bubbles. Initially marketed in pink and blue flavors, Double Bubble’s popularity soared during the war years due to sugar rationing. Rationed consumers appreciated the affordable price of the product.
Product Description
Double Bubble is essentially a type of blow-popped candy consisting of two layers: a bubble gum center covered by a flavored hard shell. The core component, typically pink or blue (the original flavors), contains a mixture of corn syrup, sugar, water, artificial colors, and other stabilizers to maintain its shape.
The outer shell encases the bubble gum center with a thicker layer made from sugar, cornstarch, and food-grade wax. It’s flavored in various ways, including cherry, orange, blue raspberry, and lemon, among others. This exterior allows for easy consumption while maintaining a neat appearance when consumed as is or used as an impromptu pencil topper.
Types and Variations
Double Bubble has expanded its offerings over time with additional flavors and variations. Some notable ones include:
- Original Blue Raspberry : Released in the late 1970s, this was among the first non-traditional flavor introduced under Double Bubble.
- Assorted Fruit Flavors : These included various fruit flavors mixed into a single wrapper to provide consumers multiple tastes within one product.
- Grape and Strawberry Flavored : Known for their distinct colors but similar textures to traditional Double Bubbles, these added variety without breaking the mold on core ingredients.
- Strawberry Shortcake & Blue Raspberry Blast : The inclusion of fruit-filling inside the Blow Pop brought an exciting twist and introduced competition within other bubble gum companies.
In recent years, there have been reports that Double Bubble underwent changes in its formula to include new colors like green apple blue.