Whenever I hear the word Gobstopper, I’m taken back to my childhood when I would watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and hear Willy Wonka talk about Everlasting Gobstoppers. Sadly you can’t get Everlasting Gobstoppers in real life. But you can get normal Gobstoppers. Now maybe you’ve heard the term and are wondering what they even are. Perhaps you are considering buying one. So let’s find out, shall we?
So, what Is a Gobstopper? A Gobstopper is a spherical-shaped hard sweet that you need to suck mostly – only when you reach a softer center can you safely chew. The size of a Gobstopper and flavour ranges, with some naturally lasting longer than others.
A Gobstopper is so hard that you can’t really bite into it without risking damage to your teeth and, quite possibly, your jaw.
This very fact has resulted in an alternative name for them in the United States – Jawbreakers!
Now, if you are wondering, they are, in fact, the same very thing. It’s just a name difference.
So now you are aware of that, let’s delve into the detail of what you can expect of them.
What Is A Gobstopper Made Of?
A Gobstopper mainly consists of water, sugar, corn syrup, and artificial and natural food colorings and flavours. Some Gobstopper manufacturers add other ingredients into their recipes to fulfill certain purposes.
So that may be a rather shocking revelation to you. A Gobstopper is just another name for a Jawbreaker. But seeing as we’re here to know all about Gobstoppers today, we’re going to channel our British accents and stick with British terminology.
Gobstoppers have been around since the 1800s. I know, right? A long time! The 1800s.
There are plenty of manufacturers that make Gobstoppers, both in the US, Britain, and all around the world.
But there are mutual fundamental ingredients required in each Gobstopper recipe.
Each Gobstopper is made from layers and layers of these ingredients.
And these ingredients are water, corn syrup, and artificial and natural food colorings and flavours.
But when combined, these ingredients only make up a tiny percentage of a finished individual Gobstopper.
The key ingredient in each Gobstopper, which takes up most of the percentage of the finished product, is sugar.
After all, it is a candy, and candy is sweet. This sweetness needs to come from somewhere. And that somewhere is almost always sugar.
Gobstoppers are made with specific sugar called dextrose.
Some Gobstoppers can include some of what’s called calcium stearate, which is a binding agent. This will depend on the Gobstopper’s manufacturer and the respective recipe they use.
Carnauba Wax is another ingredient that is found in some Gobstoppers. It is used to create a polished and shiny finish on the surface of the candy.
Those who have eaten Gobstoppers before will be aware of this polished and shiny finish!
What Does A Gobstopper Taste Like?
Gobstoppers are sweet-tasting sweets that come in a variety of flavours. Some Gobstoppers will have a core centre of gum.
Eating Gobstoppers isn’t like enjoying some candy floss. It’s quite a task that requires determination and dedication.
Before Gobstoppers can be edible, you have to suck and/or lick them for at least an hour so that you can wear their texture down.
So as you’ll be eating a Gobstopperr for a long time, you’ll want to make sure that it’s a tasty flavour that you can enjoy.
So it’s very rare to find a sour Gobstopper. Or any flavours that aren’t too enjoyable or become bland very quickly.
Most of the time, you’ll find the common flavour favourites that people enjoy. Sweet, fruity flavours.
But because you have to suck on and lick Gobstoppers for so long, they’re actually not as high in sugar as other candies.
After all, you don’t want to be sucking on something for over an hour that is constantly flooding your body with waves of sugar from the Gobstopper. That’s not healthy.
So Gobstoppers contain a level of sugar that isn’t too unhealthy for eating for long periods of time.
Because they contain less sugar than other candies, Gobstoppers are much less sweet than other candies.
It’s a more subtle sugary sweet taste, but still, definitely, one that you can enjoy.
Poor quality Gobstoppers that aren’t made well will lose their flavour long before you finish them, which isn’t ideal at all.
A lot of Gobstoppers may contain different layers of flavour, so you don’t get bored sucking on the same one for over an hour.
Some special Gobstoppers may have a chewing gum core. So once you’re done sucking and licking, you can enjoy some chewing instead.
Think of it as a nice treat for all the hard sucking you did for the last few hours.
As for texture, well, you’ve probably worked out by now that Gobstoppers are really, really hard.
Until you’ve worn them down!!
How Do You Eat A Gobstopper?
You eat a Gobstopper by sucking until it’s worn down to be soft. Only then can you safely bite into them..
A Gobstopper is the same as a Jawbreaker. And as you may know, Jawbreakers are called Jawbreakers because they can break your jaw.
And as Gobstoppers are the same as Jawbreakers, so don’t pop it in your mouth and try to take a huge bite, because otherwise, the Gobstopper may break your jaw and cause you other dental damage. B
But biting into a Gobstopper isn’t what eating a Gobstopper is about.
Eating a Gobstopper is about sucking and licking a Gobstopper for a long period of time, enjoying the layers of flavours.
Then once you’ve gotten to the centre, you can bite into the Gobstopper.
Other than this rule, it’s fairly simple.
So, pop it in your mouth and start sucking. Or if it’s too big, then hold it in your hand and lick it.
Keep on sucking away and licking away until that thing softens.
Otherwise, you risk breaking a tooth or even injuring your jaw.
Only when it’s soft and chewy should you bite into a Gobstopper.
Some studies have been carried out into how much sucking and licking need to take place before a Gobstopper can be bitten into.
The results are that the average takes on average 1000 licks until they’re ready.
If you aim to finish your Gobstopper in an hour, then you’re looking at about 16.6 licks a minute. It’s hard work, but after all, a Gobstopper is no small eating task.
Of course, you can buy some Gobstopper in a smaller or even bigger size. So this will also affect how long it will take to eat that Gobstopper you’ve purchased.
You might want to take a break from eating your Gobstopper. There’s no shame in doing so. After all, we all have lives to lead, and we can’t suck on candy all day long, can we?
So if you want to take a break, simply put your Gobstopper in a plastic bag and leave it somewhere safe. Don’t leave it out in the open otherwise, bugs might get to it…or your greedy relative!
Once you resume your eating, you may feel like running it under water to rinse it. That’s no problem at all. Rinse away.
Why Is It Called A Gobstopper?
Gob is British slang for mouth. So Gobstoppers are called Gobstoppers because they will stop your gob in its tracks due to their intensely hard textures.
It’s called a Gobstopper for a similar reason to why we call them Jawbreakers. Perhaps we are being a bit more brutal with our wording.
Those Brits and their politeness, hey?
Gob is British slang for mouth.
And we all know what stop/stopper means.
So you combine Gob and Stopper, and you get Gobstopper.
The idea is that the candy, referred to as the Gobstopper, is so tough and so hard that it stops our gobs from biting.
Because, as you know, we have to lick and suck the Gobstopper before our Gob can start chewing again.
Make sense? I do hope so. Those Brits do speak in riddles.
So if you eat a Gobstopper and you want to get your mouth going again, you’ve got plenty of licking to do. 1000 licks, to be precise.
Can You Chew Gobstoppers?
You can chew Gobstoppers, but you should refrain from chewing until it has softened. Otherwise, you could break your jaw or damage your tooth.
Gobstoppers, as we know, are very, very hard. They’re not designed for chewing…or at least, chewing immediately.
The aim is to wear the Gobstopper down until it softens. Then at this point, you can bite into your Gobstopper and chew it before swallowing.
Now, sure, you might think you can chew your Gobstopper as soon as you pop it into your mouth. Or as the Brits say, Gobs.
But be warned, Gobstoppers are so hard that they can break your teeth when you bite into them.
They also can potentially cause your jaw to break. Hence why, here in the states, we refer to Gobstoppers as Jawbreakers!
Finally
So there we have it.
Hard balls that need a good suck.
And you’re going to want to.
Besides, they can cause serious damage if you try before they are sufficiently soft, or you get impatient!
Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.
