I've always chuckled at the scene of Nelson and his friend discussing their Slushies in "Bart the General":
"What flavor did you get?"
"Blue."

It highlights a weird curiosity of food in America; no one knows what flavor blue slurpees are! Or so I thought, but apparently after a quick Google search it turns out not to be a mystery at all. The blue flavor of candy, slurpees, popsicles, sports drinks and sometimes shaved ice (the last one also has a separate blue flavor called "Blue Hawaiian") is Blue Raspberry.

It is supposedly named for a blue species of raspberry called rubus leucodermis, though the flavor is just a generic raspberry taste and it's really only dyed blue to make it stand out. It's not a secret either- both Icee and Otter Pops label their blue flavors "Blue Raspberry," and apparently me and Nelson's friend just weren't aware of it.

How about you? Did you think of blue flavor as raspberry growing up? Or did you learn that just now?

There was no blue food when I was growing up.

George Carlin
"Where's The Blue Food?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l04dn8Msm-Y

I recall 'blue' flavouring during the 1980s, especially with ice lollies. It was those days of artificial colouring, e-numbers, and causing hyperactivity in children. I know for I had witnessed a sudden change in a child after having such an ice lolly.

I recall 'blue' flavouring during the 1980s, especially with ice lollies. It was those days of artificial colouring, e-numbers, and causing hyperactivity in children. I know for I had witnessed a sudden change in a child after having such an ice lolly.


And if the flavor is so chemically altered that the distinct flavor of raspberry cannot even be detected, hence this thread, who wants them anyway? Best to avoid blue food altogether.

The only blue edibles I recall growing up in the 60's were either popsicles or lollipops - and blue was not a most common color even for these.  If there was blue breakfast cereal at that time, I don't recall.  (There was plenty of red, green, yellow color in breakfast cereal ala Fruit Loops - at the time there was no blue in Fruit Loops, nor green or purple for that matter.)

I fear for the blue M&Ms, where does the colouring for those come from?

The only blue edibles I recall growing up in the 60's were either popsicles or lollipops - and blue was not a most common color even for these.  If there was blue breakfast cereal at that time, I don't recall.  (There was plenty of red, green, yellow color in breakfast cereal ala Fruit Loops - at the time there was no blue in Fruit Loops, nor green or purple for that matter.)


There was no blue cereal in the 1960s. The only blue item I recall at all was those "freeze pops" (not popsicles, but those long, thin frozen colored pieces of ice in plastic, called different things in different regions), and even those were rare in blue. And now that I think of it, those freeze pops were pretty tasteless in general. Tasteless as in lacking in flavor, that is.


I fear for the blue M&Ms, where does the colouring for those come from?


And blue M&Ms did not even show up until 1995.

"The original M&M'S introduced in 1941 were red, yellow, green, brown, orange and violet. In 1949, tan replaced violet. In 1995, blue replaced tan. M&M'S Peanut Chocolate Candies were introduced in 1954 in all brown. Red, green and yellow were added in 1960. Orange was added to the M&M'S peanut candies in 1976 and replaced with blue in 1995."
    -https://www.upi.com/Business_News/2004/03/11/MMS-show-their-true-colors/80061079017251/

I do not feel I missed a thing by having no blue food in my youth. Down with blue food!  ;D

Blue Raspberry