Acid Pops

Acid Pops were a kind of sweet like the lollipops sold in the muggle world. It was a popular candy in the world of magic. They were sold in most sweet shops of the wizarding world, including Honeydukes, and later possibly at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes as well. It was said to burn a hole in its eater’s tongue, thereby making it very difficult to eat it. It was manufactured by Mr Ambriosus Flume and his wife, Mrs Flume, who ran the Honeydukes sweetshop at Hogsmeade. It is said that Fred once pranked a seven-year-old Ron by giving him an Acid Pop and eventually burning a hole in his tongue. It is also believed that “Acid Pop” was the password for Albus Dumbledore’s office at least once when Harry studied at Hogwarts.

Acid Pops Within The World Of Harry Potter

Acid Pops were first mentioned in the Harry Potter Universe when Ron claimed that Fred, his elder brother, once pranked Ron Weasley into having an Acid Pop when he was seven years old. Fred was later punished by his mother, Molly Weasley, who spanked him with a broomstick, and it is assumed that she used magic quickly to bring back Ron’s tongue to normal. 

When Harry and Dumbledore were meeting to discuss Voldemort and hunting Horcruxes in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry was once sent a note by Dumbledore informing him about the next meeting in his office, and in that note was a postscript that said, “P.S… I enjoy Acid Pops.” which was a reference to the password to enter his office being Acid Pops.

The Creation Of Acid Pops

 Acid Pops were created in Hogsmeade at the Honeydukes Sweetshop. Its recipe was probably guarded like most other recipes to prevent copycats. However, in the muggle world, there have been examples of Acid Pop recipes which have captured the essence of the actual sweet. This is also one of the easiest Harry Potter recipes with very little hassle needed in making it.

Since Acid Pops are magically created and would literally burn a hole in a person’s tongue, the recipe we use in the muggle world had to be tamer in comparison. Unlike the magical world, where a little magic is enough to cure such cases, the real world requires safer sweets that do not cause any harm to the person eating them. Therefore, we make the safest possible Acid Pops.

One of the essential ingredients for an Acid Pop in the muggle world is a lollipop of a flavor that goes well with the acidic taste we will add to it later. Therefore, flavors like chocolate, coffee, caramel, and butterscotch may not be ideal for an Acid Pop. However, lollipop flavors like Orange, Lemon, Raw Mango, and Tamarind may go really well for an Acid Pop. Once we procure a lollipop of a suitable flavor, we dip it in honey which is kept in a shallow bowl. Honey helps absorb the sugar and citrus mixture we make after this. While the citrus mixture is ideally a combination of citric acid and sugar, there are other ingredients that can be used. The next step is to add powdered sugar or corn syrup to either store-bought citric acid or freshly made orange juice or lemon juice to make an acidic mixture. The sugar dissolves well in the citrus mixture. The lollipops dipped in honey are then dipped into this citrus mixture. The lollipop sticks are then hoisted into some surface for them to stand erect and dry after the excess sugar is removed.

It is to be noted that getting store-bought lollipops is optional as one could easily make lollipops with lollipop molds or use sour candies of different colors and just insert lollipop sticks into them. In case the lollipops are made directly without any color, one can also add some food coloring to each of the “pop-rocks” based on what color they want. Muggle Acid Pops can be served at any special event and are quite healthy, too, when eaten in moderation. They do not have a lot of calories, and the nutritional information of these pops usually are in favor of eating them in moderation without worry.

Acid Pops At The Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

While there is no specific mention of the Acid Pops being sold at the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, it is still highly likely that at least a similar sweet was sold there. The Acid Pops combines two of the Weasley twins’ favorites – sweets and pranks. While the Acid Pops are considered a great delicacy, they are undoubtedly also very dangerous as a prank because they burn a hole in the mouth of the person eating them. Furthermore, with the invention of Skiving Snackboxes, which contained delicacies such as the Nosebleed Nougat, the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes were already popular for their delicacies that came with a twist.

The Science Behind Acid Pops

Acid Pops are made out of an interest in suddenly feeling the popping effect of a sour compound hitting one’s tongue. In the case of Acid Pops made in the wizarding world, there is a literal danger of burning a hole in one’s tongue, which is inevitable if one has to eat an acid pop. It is a treat for many to eat, and the flavor of every possible pop comes with a tangy aftertaste, which is probably why most kids enjoy eating it. We believe that the Acid Pops made in the magical world must contain a compound that reacts with the saliva to cause the reaction that burns one’s tongue. However, since the saliva of humans is relatively neutral on the pH scale, it is likely that Acid Pops have a compound other than the acidic one in them that causes this reaction or at least catalyzes it.

FAQs