New holiday delicacy: latkes and Tootsie Rolls

Just in time for Hanukkah, Tootsie Rolls have been declared kosher.

Tootsie Roll Industries, the 112-year-old candy company based in Chicago, announced Thursday that the name-brand chewy treat along with Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Frooties and DOTS have all been approved by the Orthodox Union, the world's largest kosher-certification agency.

"This will bring our iconic brands to an entirely new consumer base," said Ellen Gordon, president of Tootsie Roll Industries.

"We are very pleased to have Tootsie Roll join with other leading confectionary producers who have attained OU certification in recent years," said Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU's vice president of communications and marketing. "It was also gratifying for OU to guide Tootsie Roll through the certification process and bring these famous candies to the growing kosher marketplace."

Although Tootsie Rolls wouldn't seem to violate any of the traditional kosher taboos - such as eating shellfish, the meat of split-hooved animals or dairy products with meat - kosher certification also monitors the way food is prepared and the ingredients used, with regular inspections to make sure standards are met.

Tootsie Rolls products bearing the OU symbol of approval should be in stores in the next few weeks.