Bosco Chocolate Syrup

Bosco Chocolate Syrup is a brand of chocolate syrup first produced in 1928. The company, Bosco Products, Inc., is based in Towaco, New Jersey, and products are sold throughout the United States and Europe.[1]

Not to be confused with Bosko, a cartoon character.

Bosco chocolate syrup
Bosco truck

History

Bosco Chocolate syrup was purportedly invented in 1928 in Camden, New Jersey, by an unknown physician.[2] The William S. Scull Company, founded in 1931 in Camden, acquired the manufacturing license. The Scull Company's most famous product was Boscul Coffee, which gave the product its brand name, "Bosco".[3] In the 1950s, Corn Products Company acquired the brands Bosco, and Bosco Products, Inc. in 1985.[1] The name recalls the Ancient Greek word βόσκω : bóskō, "I nourish."

The company has branched out and makes other products, including candy bars bearing the brand name.[4][5]

Production process

Formerly, bulk materials were added via automatic measuring devices into stainless steel cooking vats. Minor ingredients and flavorings were blended into the batch separately, through a custom blender device, adhering to stringent product handling standards. While in the vats, Bosco was pasteurized for product uniformity and then cooled for bottling. Computers measured and monitored the product temperatures. Malt extract and vanilla was added and combined with cocoa powder, which yielded the distinctive Bosco taste.

As of 2020, Bosco no longer follows this process. The recipe now omits malt extract and vanilla, altering the flavor and viscosity of the product.

Bosco was once packaged in glass jars, but is now sold in plastic squeeze bottles.

As of 2015, Bosco is produced in several flavors in addition to the original chocolate: strawberry, sea salt caramel, fudge brownie, sugar free, and mocha (the last of which was added c. 2012, replacing berry blue).[6]

Cultural references

Advertising
  • Bosco Chocolate Syrup, at that time called Bosco Milk Amplifier, was heavily advertised on children's shows during the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as The Popeye Club, a local Atlanta, Georgia, program featuring Popeye cartoons, as well as live action sequences.[7] An important feature of many of the television advertisements was the jingle, I love Bosco.
  • Bosco commercials were featured frequently as some of the "retromercials" used in lieu of commercial breaks on TV Land during its earliest years.
  • Bosco ads often featured the "Bosco Chiller-Diller" concoction.[8][9]
  • Bosco TV and radio ads also featured the "Bosco Nova" song and dance, set to a bossa nova beat.[10]

Art

Books

Film

Music

Television
  • In season seven of The Blacklist, while being interrogated by agent Ressler, Krilov requested (amongst others) a glass of chocolate milk, Redington interjected saying "Make it two. Hershey's or Nesquik? Or maybe you're a Bosco man."
  • In season two of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murray is called to bring Ted Baxter a glass of milk, saying, "had I known it was for you, Ted, I'd have put some Bosco in it."
  • In the Season 4 Laverne and Shirley episode "Supermarket Sweep", Laverne wins a three-minute shopping spree at a local grocery store. All their friends request certain food items, but Lenny and Squiggy only want Bosco.[18]
  • In the MASH episode "Dear Mildred" (season 4, episode 8), Radar states his aunt would not let him dip his zwieback in his Bosco.
  • In the Night Court episode "Hurricane" in season 3, Harry asks Mac to fix him a "stiff Bosco".
  • In the season 2 Seinfeld episode "The Baby Shower", George Costanza reveals that it was "Bosco" that Elaine Benes's friend, Leslie, threw on his new red collared shirt three years ago during her performance at a warehouse on the waterfront in Brooklyn that she invited him to on a date. She then left with another man, never apologizing, saying goodbye, or calling George again.
  • In the season 7 Seinfeld episode "The Secret Code", George Costanza reveals that he chose "Bosco" as his ATM PIN because of his great enthusiasm for Bosco Chocolate Syrup.[19]
  • In the season 8 Seinfeld episode "The Fatigues", Jerry Seinfeld mentions that "Bosco" is one of the parts of comedian Kenny Bania’s poorly received milk-themed stand up act.
  • In The Sopranos, season 4, episode 7: "Watching Too Much Television", in reacting to a new espresso machine given to Adriana at her bridal shower, Joanne Moltisanti says of Adriana's fiance, Christopher Moltisanti: "Cappuccino now. He used to drink Bosco."
  • In Married... with Children, season 4, episode "At the Zoo", Steve Rhoades refers to "Bosco" a sea turtle at the aquarium. Al Bundy, thinking Steve means the chocolate syrup brand, says, "You got Bosco!? I'll spit in a glass and we can mix some up!"
  • In Mork & Mindy, season 4, episode 17 "Midas Mork", Quentin (the butler?) says "Can I get you a before dinner Bosco?" to Mearth, who replies "No, you can’t get me a before dinner Bosco. You know why? You just like to say Bosco!", Quentin says "To be sure." and leaves.
  • In Bob's Burgers, Sgt Bosco is a caustic and cantankerous officer who is involved in many of the Belchers' adventures.
  • In “Who’s The Boss”, season 5, episode 14 “Winter Break”, Tony Micelli says “I brought along a couple of sandwiches that I made with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, otherwise know as the fluffer-nutter. And you know what I brought along to wash it down with? A little chocolate milk made with Bosco!”

See also

References
  1. Linda J. Barth (August 20, 2013). A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone. The History Press. pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-1-62584-675-4.
  2. Sietsema, Robert (July 7, 2009). "A Short, Unsatisfying History of Bosco Chocolate Syrup". Village Voice. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  3. "Boscul Coffee – William S. Scull & Company". dvrbs.com/. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  4. "Makers of Bosco Syrup to Offer Chocolate Bars". Candy Industry. January 4, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  5. "Bosco Natural Milk Chocolate Bars: 12-Piece Box". Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  6. "Syrups & Bars". Bosco. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  7. McClellan, Don (September 26, 2009). "'Flip the Spoon' rarely remembered". Don McClellan's half-a-century with WSB Television. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  8. "Bosco Chiller Diller (advertisement)". Lowell Sun. Lowell, Massachusetts. August 6, 1959. p. 9.
  9. "Bosco Chiller Diller (advertisement)". Middletown Journal. Middletown, OH. August 17, 1959. p. 20.
  10. "Vintage 1962 Bosco Chocolate Drink Mix Commercial". TV Toy Memories. 1962. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021.
  11. Barth 2013, pp. 69–70.
  12. Goldberg, Vicki (September 25, 1998). "ART REVIEW; It's a Leonardo? It's a Corot? Well, No, It's Chocolate Syrup". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  13. The Last Supper in Ten Unusual Mediums
  14. "Just in time for the holidays, a $110,000 syrupy portrait". USA Today. Reuters. October 3, 2007. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  15. "Stupid White Men", Michael Moore, 2001, Penguin UK, page 150 of 279
  16. "Bosco Syrup Introduces Mocha Flavored Syrup: The First New Flavor In Nearly A Decade". The Wall Street Journal. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  17. Marion Brown Quartet – "La Placita" – Live In Willisau (1978) Netherlands: Timeless Records
  18. "Laverne & Shirley" Supermarket Sweep (TV Episode 1979) - IMDb, retrieved July 18, 2022
  19. Gardner, Urban (August 1, 2011). "Burnishing the Bosco Brand". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2015.(subscription required)

Sources
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