Tootsie Roll is a brand of chewy candy

Candy

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...

. It is a form of candy that has been manufactured in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 since 1896. The manufacturer

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

, Tootsie Roll Industries

Tootsie Roll Industries

Tootsie Roll Industries is a manufacturer of confectionery in the United States. Its best-known products have been Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops....

, is based in Chicago, Illinois.

It was the first penny candy to be individually wrapped.
In 1896 its founder Leo Hirschfeld, an Austrian

Austrians

Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....

 immigrant to the United States, started his candy business in a small shop located in New York City. He wanted a "chocolate" candy that would not melt easily in the heat, and would be an economical artificial alternative to traditional chocolates.