Season 2, Episode 18: POP ROCKS

To begin today’s review, I need to share some information that might change how you perceive your childhood.

Are you ready?

Okay.

Pop Rocks will NOT cause your stomach to explode if you eat them AND drink a soda at the same time.

Shocked? Disappointed? Relieved? Some combination of the three? I’m here for you.

For generations, this urban legend has been perpetuated on playgrounds across America. While no one is quite certain where/when this rumor started, the story goes that a child actor (John Gilchrist of Life Cereal commercial fame) ate a package of Pop Rocks, drank a 6-pack of Coca-Cola, and subsequently died of a ruptured stomach.

This apparently caused such fervor that General Foods (the manufacturer) had to set up a phone line for concerned parents in 1979 where they could call in and a voice recording would assure them that their children would not die from eating them! Ultimately, it took a thorough PR campaign, assurances to the public, and scientists to prove its safety.

Scientists? Yes, scientists. They calculated that a single package of Pop Rocks contained LESS carbonation than an average soda. Thanks, NERDS. (**I am also a scientist, so it’s cool.)

But it really didn’t matter because really the only thing that exploded was the popularity of this candy.

Today, Pop Rocks are a household name, a childhood rite of passage, and one of the most nostalgia-inducing food products out there.

And today today, I’m going to review some for this blog.

DAY 18: PUMPKIN PATCH POP ROCKS

Item: Pop Rocks Pumpkin Patch Orange Flavor

Purchase Location: Target

Cost: $0.80

So this product got on my radar after being sent a “Which pumpkin spice product are you?” BuzzFeed quiz by a friend of mine (Hi Shelly!). If you have the time, I would recommend it. This is the link.

I went on the hunt and found these at my local Target in the deepest corners of the Halloween aisle. At $0.80 a package, I bought a few (for science).

The packaging says “Pumpkin Patch Orange,” and while I have seen online that there is ALLEGEDLY a pumpkin spice flavor to these, I don’t see anything on the package that would indicate so. In case you’re wondering (but really it’s no surprise): there are no pumpkin or spices listed on the label.

Since Shelly introduced me to the idea of these, I decided to share this experience with her. So with two packages in hand, I made my way to school for us to do our taste test.

(I also got busted while taking my pictures for the blog, but AT also gave me the Day 1 yogurt pretzels, so I guess it’s okay.)

As is the rule, I flicked the side of the bag a few times to break up the chunks of pieces. Tearing open the top of the bag, I was greeted with the friendly and familiar site of the funny looking sugar crystals. The Pop Rocks themselves are orange/green, but there is no smell of any kind of spice.

So before I poured some in to my hand, I gave the bag a nice few shakes. Why? Because of something called granular cycling (or the Brazil Nut Effect). Basically, if you shake any container with contents of mixed sizes (think trail mix or even popcorn), the larger pieces will actually move towards the top!

Basically, by shaking it up, you change the center of gravity, and the smaller pieces settle at the bottom. It’s actually pretty interesting. You can learn more here. If you don’t, you can just take me at my word.

I made sure my hand was bone dry before pouring any out.