Is there such a thing as a blue raspberry? And why are raspberries hairy?

Summary

---

Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode: Blue raspberries and harry berries
Host: Molly Bloom
Co-Host: Zoe Samara (Houston, TX)
Date: March 31, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this playful, fact-packed episode, Molly Bloom and kid co-host Zoe Samara dig into some berry curious questions: What’s the deal with the “hairs” on raspberries? And where did the idea of “blue raspberry” flavor come from, given that real blue raspberries don’t seem to exist? With the help of expert guests, memorable segments, and even a “berry barber” character, the show explores raspberry biology, food science history, and why berry candy is so often blue.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Raspberry Basics & History

• Raspberries are Related to Roses:

  • Raspberries are in the same plant family as roses. Wild raspberry bushes are thorny, much like rose bushes.
    [07:14]
  • Quote: “Raspberries are closely related to roses.” – Zoe Samara

• Cultivation & Health:

  • First farmed by the Romans around the year 300, raspberries spread across Europe and eventually to America.
    [07:28]
  • Packed with fiber and vitamin C; historically used in Europe as medicine for centuries, though the actual effectiveness is limited to some uses today.
    [07:47]

2. Why Do Raspberries Have Hairs?

• Listener Question: Amelia Sars from Washington asks why raspberries have hairs.
  [08:32]

• Introducing Bart the Berry Barber:

  • Comedic character “Bart,” a barber for fruit, explains the berry’s structure.
    [09:10]

• Not True Berries Botanically:

  • Despite their name, raspberries and blackberries are not “true berries” in botanical terms.

    • “True berries” are one fleshy fruit with seeds, like blueberries, bananas, even pumpkins!
      [11:11]

  • Quote: “Raspberries are berries, but they are not true berries.” – Bart the Berry Barber [10:01]

• Berry Structure:

  • Raspberries are a collection (aggregate) of little fruits called “drupelets/drupes,” each with its own seed.
    [10:48]

• Two Types of “Hair”:

  • Styles: The longer yellowish strands, one per drupelet, leftover stigma from flower pollination – part of the plant’s reproductive system.
    [11:49]

    • Quote: “Those longer strands are called styles. They're part of the plant's reproductive system.” – Bart the Berry Barber

  • Trichomes: Short, fuzzy white “hairs” across the fruit, also found on peaches and kiwis. [17:40]

    • Serve as protection for fruit: Secrete chemicals to deter bugs, make wax to keep moisture inside. Like a tiny suit of armor.
      [17:56]
    • Quote: “Trichomes are important for fruits. Think of that white fuzz like a mini suit of armor.” – Bart the Berry Barber [17:56]

3. What About Mold?

• Berry Safety:

  • Trichomes are translucent, but if you see more solid fuzz, it’s likely mold—toss those berries.
    [19:12]

  • Pro tip: Store berries in a single layer and eat them fast to avoid mold!
    [19:37]

4. The Blue Raspberry Mystery: Why Is Candy Blue?

• Do Blue Raspberries Exist?

  • There is a “white bark raspberry” that turns dark purplish blue when ripe, but not the neon blue seen in candies.
    [22:23]

• History of Blue Raspberry Flavor:

  • In the 1970s, classic popsicle flavors (cherry, strawberry, watermelon, raspberry) were all red (thanks to red dye #2).
    [23:12]
  • When red dye #2 was banned due to safety, candy and ice pop makers wanted a fun alternative color to help flavors stand out. Blue food dye was underused and visually distinctive, so it got assigned to “raspberry.”
    [24:38]
  • Quote: “Blue raspberry as we know it was born.” – Molly Bloom [24:47]

• Result:

  • Blue raspberry flavor spread to gummies, slushies, candies, and more—even though it doesn’t match any natural berry. The flavor is invented and the color eye-catching, solving a practical sugary problem.
    [25:26]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Raspberry Candy vs Fruit:

  • “Oh, I love blue raspberry flavor. It’s an adventure in your mouth. It explodes.” – Zoe Samara [04:10]

• On Eating Raspberries:

  • “I stick them on my fingers and pretend they’re like a family.” – Zoe Samara [04:26]

• Favorite Smoothie Ingredients:

  • “Raspberries, strawberries, and little bits of mango…so delicious.” – Zoe Samara [05:08]

• Berry Barber Banter:

  • “I used to say I was a bearber, but people thought I shaved bears, which is so silly. Imagine that, someone shaving bears!” – Bart the Berry Barber [09:20]

• On Trichomes:

  • “Thank you, trichomes, indeed. Not only do they help fruit out, they keep me in business.” – Bart the Berry Barber [18:29]

• Why Blue Dye?

  • “There weren’t many flavors that used a blue dye…so someone came up with the idea of coloring raspberry popsicles with the blue food dye. And it was a hit.” – Zoe Samara [24:38]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:19] — Introduction to raspberry “hairs”
• [03:40] — Listener’s blue raspberry question
• [07:14] — Raspberries’ family and history
• [08:32] — “Why do raspberries have hairs?” listener question
• [09:10] — Bart the Berry Barber explains berry types
• [11:11] — What makes a true berry?
• [11:49] — What are “styles” and “trichomes”?
• [17:40] — Importance of trichomes/fuzz
• [19:17] — How to identify mold on raspberries
• [22:07] — The blue raspberry flavor investigation
• [24:47] — Birth of blue raspberry flavor and the blue dye switch

---

Episode Summary & Takeaways

• Raspberries have both long “styles” (plant reproductive bits) and a soft fuzz called “trichomes.” The fuzz protects the fruit and keeps it juicy.
• Botanically, raspberries are not “true berries”—they’re groups of smaller fruits called drupelets.
• Blue raspberry flavor was created by food companies in the 1970s to overcome color confusion and safety concerns about then-common food dyes. The flavor is mostly made up, and the color is purely for fun!
• If your raspberries grow too much solid fuzz (mold), toss those berries!
• Molly and Zoe’s banter keeps things light, memorable, and kid-friendly, with recurring themes of curiosity, play, and snack enthusiasm.

---

Memorable Kid & Character Moments

• Zoe’s snack pack backpack and custom “raspberries are red but the candy is blue” shirt [07:01]
• Bart the Berry Barber’s over-the-top fruit salon antics [09:10], [17:12]
• The mystery sound segment (“tapping a balloon,” not drumming!) [12:37], [27:20]

---

Engaging, science-filled, and full of humor, this Brains On! episode delivers berry good fun while answering why raspberries are hairy and just what’s up with blue raspberry flavor.

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Today's episode is sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge. At Great Wolf Lodge, there's adventure for the whole family. You and your pack can splash away in the indoor water park where it's always 84 degrees. There's a massive wave pool, a lazy river and tons of water slides for your pack to enjoy together. And the fun doesn't stop there. Get ready to explore and play at Adventure packed attractions, from Magiquest, a live action game that takes place throughout the lodge, to the Northern Lights Arcade. There's also a bunch of great dining options and complimentary daily events like nightly dance parties all under one roof. And the best part, with 22 lodges across the country, you're always only a short drive away from adventure. So bring your pack together at a lodge near you. Book your stay [e-mail] and strengthen the pack. Hi friends. You might have heard that Bark Sandin and I are on the road this spring with Brains On Live. We've been to several cities so far and it has been so much fun. Our next two stops are Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. That's at the end of March. And then we just announced that we added Lawrence, Kansas in May and Columbus, Ohio in June. We're also heading to Chattanooga, Durham, Milwaukee, Portland, Buffalo, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. We hope you'll be able to join us at one of those shows. We can't wait to see you. To get tickets and get more information, you can and head to brainson.org events. That's brainson.org events.

[Mark Sanchez]

Brains on Universe.

[Zoe Samara]

You're listening to Brains on where we're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

Sometimes you see stuff in nature that doesn't make sense until it does. Like a horse looking creature with a super long neck. Seems impractical until you learn that these

[Zoe Samara]

creatures, also called giraffes, use that neck to eat leaves from tall trees.

[Molly Bloom]

Or a flower that looks like a wasp.

[Zoe Samara]

Which is weird until you learn that this helps the flower trick real wasps into visiting it and pollinating it.

[Molly Bloom]

Which brings us to rannisberries. Ever notice they have little hairs on them?

[Zoe Samara]

Are they growing fur because they're cold? Do they forget to shave?

[Molly Bloom]

Turns out this is another case of something odd being something awesome when you understand it.

[Zoe Samara]

Stick around. We've got the scoop on this very delightful berry.

[Molly Bloom]

Times are changing. If you're a millennial like me, the world you grew up in no longer exists. Because in the world we grew up in, we were told everything online should be free. We all knew it really wasn't free. People had to work hard to make funny videos, cool music and smart podcasts. But we got it all for free back then. Now we know better. If you want these things, you need to support them. One way to do that is to join SmartyPass. You help fund this and all the other things in the Brains on universe. Plus we make it worth your while. You get invited to virtual hangs with me, Mark and Sandon. You get bonus episodes, discounts on shirts. You can even get a birthday message from me. So show the world that you support what you love. Join [e-mail] Thanks. Brains On. You're listening to Brains on. Part of the Brains on universe. I'm Molly Bloom and my co host today is Zoe Samara from Houston, Texas. Hi.

[Zoe Samara]

Hi Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

So Zoe Samara, you wrote to us with a berry. Good question. Pun intended. What was that question?

[Zoe Samara]

The question was, if a blue raspberry isn't a real fruit, how did it become a flavor?

[Molly Bloom]

Such a great question. So what got you thinking about it?

[Zoe Samara]

My friend actually inspired this question. She had a fruit roll up and it was blue raspberry flavored. And I was like, wait, it's not a real fruit?

[Molly Bloom]

How is it a flavor that's so smart? So do you like blue raspberry flavor?

[Zoe Samara]

Oh, I love blue raspberry flavor. It's an adventure in your mouth. It explodes.

[Molly Bloom]

Absolutely. And how about real raspberries? Do you like those too?

[Zoe Samara]

I love real raspberries. They're like, they're very tangy but kind of sweet. So I think that's a good mix.

[Molly Bloom]

So what is your favorite way to eat them?

[Zoe Samara]

I have two. So one of them, it's like I stick them on my fingers and I pretend they're like a family. The second one, I have this thing, it's called like Cool Whip. And it's like a whipped cream but it's in like a tub. So like I stick em in the tub and I eat em and it's like a really creamy and sweet goodness.

[Molly Bloom]

Oof, that sounds so good. Both of those ways of eating that's delicious are wonderful. So is there a fruit flavor that you like better as a candy than you do as a fruit?

[Zoe Samara]

I really like strawberry, so I gotta say like a strawberry candy. I think it's very sweet.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, it is a really good flavor. So please describe your perfect smoothie that starts with raspberries.

[Zoe Samara]

It would be raspberries and then strawberries and then little bits of mango.

[Molly Bloom]

Oof, so delicious. Would you have any kind of dairy product in it, like yogurt? Or ice maybe?

[Zoe Samara]

I think maybe ice.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. Delicious. Are there any fruits that you don't really like?

[Zoe Samara]

I'm not a big fan of kiwi. I don't like the seeds. I don't think it's normal.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, kiwis always, like, kind of hurt my tongue a little bit. I don't know if you have that feeling too, but they're kind of, like,

[Zoe Samara]

made my tongue tingle. I think I get an unpleasant crunch because there's lots of seeds.

[Molly Bloom]

Yes. Am I just realizing that I'm allergic to kiwi during this conversation?

[Zoe Samara]

Kiwi, maybe.

[Molly Bloom]

So if you could have a personal mini farm with any fruit or vegetable ever, so you'd always have a supply handy, what would it be?

[Zoe Samara]

Okay, for fruit, it would have to be raspberries and then strawberries and then mango and peach. I really love mangoes and peaches. I think they're sweet. And for vegetables, I really like Brussels sprouts. I don't think anybody else in the world does.

[Molly Bloom]

I love Brussels sprouts.

[Mark Sanchez]

Yay.

[Zoe Samara]

I finally have a friend. And then carrots and broccoli.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, you have excellent taste in fruits and fruits.

[Zoe Samara]

I love those vegetables.

[Molly Bloom]

Can't wait to come visit your farm.

[Zoe Samara]

Thank you.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, I don't know about you, but I am so ready to talk about raspberries.

[Zoe Samara]

Are you kidding? I was born ready. Okay. I was born a baby, so I was like, wah, wah. But now I'm older, and I am so ready. I got my berry bracelets on.

[Molly Bloom]

I'm sporting my raspberry beret. You know, the kind you get at a secondhand store.

[Zoe Samara]

Totally. I also brought my snack pack backpack full of raspberry flavored snacks. Of course.

[Molly Bloom]

Ah, a fellow snack head. Much respect.

[Zoe Samara]

And check it out. I made a shirt that says, raspberries are red, but the candy is blue. I'm curious about this. How about you?

[Molly Bloom]

Whoa. You are ready. Well, let's start by getting to know these little red rascals.

[Zoe Samara]

Here's a fun fact. Raspberries are closely related to roses.

[Molly Bloom]

Yep. In fact, if you are lucky enough to see a raspberry bush in the wild, it's pretty thorny. Kind of like a rose bush.

[Zoe Samara]

Wow. Raspberries have been growing for thousands of

[Molly Bloom]

years, but researchers think they were first farmed by Romans around the year 300. From there, Romans helped spread them across Europe, and eventually this type of plant was brought to America.

[Zoe Samara]

They're also super healthy. These little berry bites are packed with fiber, vitamin C, and other super good for you things.

[Molly Bloom]

That's why for Centuries, people in Europe used them as medicine to treat all kinds of things.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Do ye suffer from diarrhea? Cramps? Vomiting, swollen tonsils, A weakened heart? The answer to all of it is the bush of raspberries. Consume it and be it.

[Zoe Samara]

Well, today we're not so sure how well it treats all of those things,

[Molly Bloom]

but we do know it's a powerful plant. It's still used in herbal teas to help cramps. It's considered a superfood. And the fruit is being studied for its high level of antioxidants. Those are nutrients that help protect our cells and keep us healthy.

[Zoe Samara]

Now that we've covered some of the berry basics, it's time to tackle this question.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hi, my name is Amelia Sars. I'm from Renton, Washington. And my question is, why do raspberries have hairs?

[Zoe Samara]

My favorite way to eat raspberries is

[Mark Sanchez]

putting them on the tips of my fingers.

[Zoe Samara]

And I started noticing when I was

[Mark Sanchez]

eating raspberries, and I wanted to look

[Zoe Samara]

close to them, and I saw they had hairs, and I wanted to tell braids on.

[Molly Bloom]

We are so glad you told us. I love putting them on my fingers, too.

[Zoe Samara]

It's like they're wearing a tiny berry hat.

[Molly Bloom]

An actual raspberry beret.

[Zoe Samara]

Yes. So what is up with the hairs on raspberries?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

I can help with that.

[Molly Bloom]

Whoa. Who are you and where did you come from?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Hi. Hi. Hi. I'm Bart, a berry barber.

[Mark Sanchez]

A what?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

You know, a barber, but for berries. I used to say I was a bearber, but people thought I shaved bears, which is so silly. Imagine that, someone shaving bears. How ridiculous. No, no, no. I shave berries and other fruit. In fact, here's my next client.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hey, Bart.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Hey, hey, hey, Peach.

[Mark Sanchez]

Give me the usual.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Shave the peach, fuzz. You got it.

[Zoe Samara]

Did you know there was a fruit barber shop in the studio?

[Molly Bloom]

Honestly, I have no idea how it got there. But stranger things have happened. Trust me.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

So while I shave this peach, let me tell you about raspberries. Get this. Raspberries are berries, but they are not true berries.

[Molly Bloom]

Right. Berry is a botanical word that means it's a plant science word. And in plant science, the definition is different from how we non plant scientists use it every day.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Yes, yes, yes. And a true berry is one that's just one little piece of fruit with multiple seeds. Raspberries, on the other hand, are technically a clump of a lot of little fruits.

[Mark Sanchez]

I didn't know that. And I'm a peach. Fascinating. Also, can you shave my back while you're at it?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Of course, peach.

[Zoe Samara]

How are raspberries a clump of fruits?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Well, you know how when you look close, a raspberry is made up of lots of little red balls. Those are called drupes, and each one is a tiny fruit. So a single raspberry is actually a collection of tiny drupe fruits. It's the same with blackberries. Also not a true berry. Whoa.

[Molly Bloom]

So what is a true berry?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Blueberry is. It's just one plump little fruit. And weirdly enough, a banana is a true berry. So is a pumpkin, botanically speaking. But back to the raspberries. If you look really closely at them, you'll see they have two kinds of hairs. Longish, thin yellow strands that look kind of like mini stems and much smaller. There's like a white fuzz on the berry.

[Zoe Samara]

Oh, yeah. There's one yellow hair sticking out of each little red ball. Those drupes you mentioned. But also the whole thing has a short, soft white fuzz too.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Correct, correct, correct. Those longer strands are called styles. They're part of the plant's reproductive system. They helped the flower get pollinated and become a fruit. What you are seeing is a leftover from that process. So those styles are stylish and style portent.

[Molly Bloom]

So what about the soft white baby fuzz?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Ahaha. I'll tell you in a second. But first, how's it looking? Peachy?

[Mark Sanchez]

You shaved me so well. I look like a nectarine, just how I like it.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

So if you'll excuse me while I rinse and towel off, Mr. Peach's here. Then I'll finish telling you about raspberries.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, that's a good excuse for us to take a break too, and give. Listen to the

[Zoe Samara]

mystery sound.

[Molly Bloom]

You ready for the mystery sound?

[Zoe Samara]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Here it is.

[Zoe Samara]

Okay, first of all, I gotta say, that was very aggressive. I like to point that out. Second of all, I feel like it was like knocking on a door or maybe banging something on a table.

[Molly Bloom]

So why do you think someone would be banging on a table aggressively?

[Zoe Samara]

Maybe, like, I don't know, to like trick us. Like, it could be like something. But at the end I heard like, I guess something fall down. I don't know, but I feel like it's closer to aggressively knocking on a door because you can just hear the banging.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, I also have no idea what this is. Can we hear it again? Hmm. It gets louder.

[Zoe Samara]

I'm getting a mix of drums and aggressively knocking on a door.

[Molly Bloom]

I was feeling drums that time too, because it almost sounds. It's like rhythmic a little bit, yeah. It's rhythmic and like a little hollow sounding. So yeah, I like drums. Okay. Aggressively, sporadically playing drums.

[Zoe Samara]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. We will hear it again, get another chance to guess and hear the answer after the credits.

[Zoe Samara]

Keep listening.

[Molly Bloom]

We have a book club. Want to join everyone in Smarty Pass is automatically a member. This time we're reading a book called the Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga.

[Zoe Samara]

Read the book, then join us for a chat with the author.

[Molly Bloom]

We'll ask her your questions and talk about the book together. Plus, you can nominate books for the next book club pick to be part of it.

[Zoe Samara]

Join SmartyPass. Go to SmartyPass.org to sign up.

[Molly Bloom]

Happy reading everyone. Today's episode is sponsored by bombas. It's the time of the year we think about what am I going to do differently this year? Maybe I'm going to read more, maybe I'm going to work out more, maybe I'm going to learn a new skill. But really at the top of my list is number one to get comfy. And that's where BOMBAS comes in. They're bringing serious comfort to all my everyday go tos. The all new Bombas sport socks are engineered with sport specific comfort for running, golf, hiking, skiing, snowboarding and all sport. This year I'm going to walk my dog more. Longer walks, better walks and these socks are going to help me stay comfy while I do it. And for all my other resolutions like going to the bookstore and picking out more books to read, I'm going to wear my new squishy Saturday suede slip on shoes which are super comfortable for being on the go. Head over to bombus.com family26 and use code family26 for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-S.com family26 code family26 at checkout. Today's episode is sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge. At Great Wolf Lodge, there's adventure for the whole family. You and your pack can splash away in the indoor water park where it's always 84 degrees trees. There's a massive wave pool, a lazy river and tons of water slides for your pack to enjoy together. And the fun doesn't stop there. Get ready to explore and play at Adventure packed attractions from Magiquest, a live action game that takes place throughout the lodge to the Northern Lights Arcade. There's also a bunch of great dining options and complimentary daily events like nightly dance parties all under one roof. And the best part, with 22 lodges across the Country. You're always only a short drive away from adventure. So bring your pack together at a lodge near you. Book your stay [e-mail] and strengthen the pack. Hey, I'm Molly.

[Zoe Samara]

I'm Zoe Samara. And we're talking about raspberries.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Hey, hey, hey. It's me, Bart the Berry Barber. Barbarian. Nah, I style fruits. Snip, snip. Strawberries. Buzz, buzz. Blackberries. You know, a common, normal job.

[Molly Bloom]

We learned that raspberries aren't true berries, but they are truly delicious and truly healthy.

[Zoe Samara]

They have two kinds of hairs, longer strands called styles, and a soft white fuzz.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Yes, yes, yes. And that fuzz is called trichomes. They're kind of hard to see, but it's the same fuzz you see on peaches and kiwis.

[Molly Bloom]

Very cool. I wondered about peach fuzz. So tell us about trichomes.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Well, when your hair is messy. Trichomes. I'm joking. Yeah. Oh. Well, trichomes are important for fruits. Think of that white fuzz like a mini suit of armor. It gives on special chemicals that keep away bugs and even fungi. Plus, trichomes make a waxy substance that helps keep water in the fruit so your peaches and berries stay juicy.

[Zoe Samara]

Whoa. Thanks, trichomes.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Thank you, trichomes, indeed. Not only do they help fruit out, they keep me in business. Ah, my next client. Hello, Ms. Kiwi.

[Zoe Samara]

Hey, Bart.

[Molly Bloom]

Just a trichome trim, please.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

You got it.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, thank you, Bart the berry barber. That was super helpful.

[Zoe Samara]

Yeah, I learned a lot. Thanks.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Yay. Glad I could help. Okay, see you later. Now let's clip, clip, clip this Kiki kiwi.

[Molly Bloom]

So raspberries have two kinds of hairs, strands called styles, and a fuzz called trichomes.

[Zoe Samara]

But sometimes you might notice a different kind of fuzz growing on your raspberries. Mold?

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. Trichomes are usually kind of translucent or see through, but if you notice a more solid looking fuzz growing on your berries, toss em.

[Zoe Samara]

Yeah, it's probably mold. It grows easily on damaged berries.

[Molly Bloom]

But if you see a few moldy guys in your berry carton and the rest look fine, it should be okay to just throw those moldy ones away and eat the clean ones.

[Zoe Samara]

And to avoid mold, don't stack too many berries on top of each other and eat them pretty quickly after getting them.

[Molly Bloom]

Say less. I'm already doing it. These berries are boss.

[Zoe Samara]

Coming up. What's the deal with the blue raspberry flavor? Is there actually a blue raspberry?

[Molly Bloom]

We will find out. But first, mailbag. This is the part of the show where we check out the cool stuff you all sent us. And we've got something extra cool today. Ivy from San Jose, California sent us a link to a podcast she started herself. It's called this is Pretend what I'm about to Tell youl. And it's a story podcast about talking animals, flying houses, time travel, all the good stuff. Here's a clip from the first episode about two kids named Luke and Mars at a playground.

[Mark Sanchez]

Well, Luke is on the slide. Mars swings. Oh, goes over the pole. He goes so high that he. He accidentally jumps off. He lands in a different world. He looks around and he sees this tiny village in front of him. He says, where is Luke? Where is my friends? He looks around and he's not in the park.

[Molly Bloom]

Cliffhanger. I love it. To find out what happens, check out Ivy's podcast. This is Pretend what I'm about to tell you. We asked Ivy to tell us more about it.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hi, my name is Ivy, and the reason why I started my podcast was because I like storytelling and making worlds with my imagination. Also, I like sharing them with others, just like Brainson.

[Molly Bloom]

Thanks for sending this to us, Ivy. If you have something you want to share, get in touch. Go to brainson.org contact. See you in the mailbag. You can get ad free versions of Brains on and all our shows by joining SmartyPass. Plus you'll help make sure shows like these stick around. Just go to brainson.org smartypass to join. Thank you.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Brains.

[Molly Bloom]

Brains.

[Zoe Samara]

Brains.

[Molly Bloom]

I'm Molly with Zoe Samara.

[Zoe Samara]

We're back and about to find out why blue raspberry flavor is a thing.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, all the raspberries I've eaten are red, but I've definitely had blue raspberry flavored slushies before.

[Zoe Samara]

So why the blue hue?

[Molly Bloom]

Raspberries do come in different colors.

[Zoe Samara]

Along with red, there are golden ones, pinkish ones, even purple ones.

[Molly Bloom]

And it turns out there is technically a blue raspberry, or at least a kinda blue raspberry. It's called a white bark raspberry. When it first starts growing, it's white, but when the raspberry gets ripe, it becomes a dark purpley blue.

[Zoe Samara]

But blue raspberry flavored things are usually a bright electric blue. They don't look anything like the white bark raspberry.

[Molly Bloom]

They usually taste different than a white bark raspberry too. For this story of the blue raspberry flavor, we have to time travel back to the 1970s.

[Zoe Samara]

It was a time of bell bottoms, psychedelic music, Phones attached to the wall with cords and no Internet, just like now.

[Molly Bloom]

Back then, people loved popsicles.

[Zoe Samara]

If it was hot out, you grabbed one of these cool treats and they

[Molly Bloom]

had all the classic flavors like cherry, strawberry, watermelon, and raspberry.

[Zoe Samara]

But hold up. Picture those, Pops. Cherry, strawberry, watermelon, raspberry. They're all red.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. And back then, they were all pretty much colored the same way with a food dye called red dye number two.

[Zoe Samara]

Not a very appetizing name.

[Molly Bloom]

True. And it turns out there were some not very appetizing reports about it, too. In 1976, the United States Food and Drug Administration published a paper that found red dye number two was linked to increased cases of cancer. Oh, no.

[Zoe Samara]

Red dye number two.

[Molly Bloom]

So the government banned it to keep people safe. But this left food companies with a problem. How are you going to make things bright red?

[Zoe Samara]

Lucky for them, they found another red dye to use instead. But it didn't solve the first problem of all the ice pop flavors looking the same.

[Molly Bloom]

Imagine hoping to slurp up a raspberry pop and you instead get a tongue full of cherry. No, thank you.

[Zoe Samara]

So since people were switching up food dyes, why not try something different? Something wild? Why not try blue?

[Molly Bloom]

There weren't many flavors that used a blue dye. Mostly because there aren't many blue foods.

[Zoe Samara]

So someone came up with the idea of coloring raspberry flavored popsicles with the blue food dye. And it was a hit. Blue raspberry as we know it was born.

[Molly Bloom]

Something about the raspberry flavor and that cool blue color just worked. People didn't care if it was unnatural. They still wanted it.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hey, Pops, you got any more of

[Zoe Samara]

those electric blue tasty treats in that far out freezer?

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Man?

[Molly Bloom]

Make that too. I want to beat the hot summer blues by licking some icy cool blues.

[Bart the Berry Barber]

Here you go. You kids and your more than one color. Having Pops, in my day, everything was red and we loved it.

[Molly Bloom]

So thanks to those pioneering pop makers, blue raspberry caught on as a fake. But we'll take it Color and flavor combo.

[Zoe Samara]

Today you can find blue raspberry Pops, gummies, gum, and more.

[Molly Bloom]

The color may be wrong, but the end result is oh so right. Speaking of, you got any blue raspberry treats in that snack pack backpack of yours?

[Zoe Samara]

Do I ever. You want chews, suckers, sours? I got it all.

[Molly Bloom]

Your commitment to snacking is really impressive. Raspberries are not true berries, but rather a collection of a lot of tiny fruits.

[Zoe Samara]

Those little fruits are called drupes.

[Molly Bloom]

Each drupe Has a strand of hair like material called a style.

[Zoe Samara]

And the raspberry itself is covered with fuzzy trichomes. These help protect the fruit.

[Molly Bloom]

Blue raspberry flavor isn't based on real raspberries. Instead, it's a color and flavor combination dreamed up by ice pop makers.

[Zoe Samara]

And today it's a combo you see in lots of sweet treats.

[Molly Bloom]

That's it for this episode of Brains On. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sandon Totten. It was sound designed by Mark Sanchez, who also wrote our theme music. We had voice acting. Hello from Kathy Marescu, Andy Doucette, Vicki Lentour, and Coco. Special thanks to Shannon Harrison, Reba Taville, Faye Simmons and Aleyah. And Ken Taborski at Code of the north for all of his website help. Okay, Zoe Samara, let's hear that mystery sound one more time. Any new thoughts?

[Zoe Samara]

I'm still going with aggressive drumming. It's rhythmic but very loud.

[Molly Bloom]

So yes. Maybe the person's like, listening to music on their headphones while they drum, you know?

[Zoe Samara]

Oh, yeah, that makes sense.

[Molly Bloom]

I don't know. I don't know. This is a tough one. I truly don't know. I like your drumming idea. I'm going with it. Should we hear the answer?

[Zoe Samara]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, here's the answer.

[Zoe Samara]

Hi, I'm Toby And I'm from St. Paul, Minnesota.

[Mark Sanchez]

And that was the sound of me tapping a balloon.

[Zoe Samara]

I'm sorry, what?

[Molly Bloom]

What balloon was that Tapping a balloon? We gotta hear it again. Hold on, hold on. Oh, like a filled up balloon. You know, like the rubbery.

[Zoe Samara]

I mean, I guess I can kind of hear, but I don't think I hear. Was that a balloon covered in it?

[Molly Bloom]

I think it's an unusual way to tap a balloon.

[Zoe Samara]

It's a metal balloon. Nope, it's a metal balloon.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, one of those shiny ones.

[Zoe Samara]

It's an alien balloon. I don't believe that's a balloon. I'll never believe it.

[Molly Bloom]

But you know what? Here's why I'm giving us partial credit. Balloons are hollow. Drums also hollow, right?

[Zoe Samara]

True. Cause they have nothing inside of them.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. So I'm giving us partial credit for sure.

[Zoe Samara]

Thank you. I agree with that.

[Molly Bloom]

Now it's time for the brains honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep this show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. River from santa fe, new mexico. Jacob and grace from brooklyn, new york. Rosie from buding, china. Valent. Tina from minneapolis. James from charleston, south carolina. Helena from new york city. Ada from london, england. Thaddeus. And persephone from millersville, pennsylvania sylvia and fiona from bar harbor, maine orest from berlin, germany edith and maddie from walnut creek, california will from flagstaff, arizona karina from maryville, missouri nathaniel from topeka, kansas billy from barrie, st. Edmunds, united kingdom skylar from roswell, georgia cole from toronto clara from jackson heights, new york felix from south bend, indiana cordelia from ottawa connell from red deer, alberta cason from vancouver island tran vu, tao, mai from hanoi in vietnam lee and from portland, oregon jason from regina elyra from lotsburg, virginia judah and grant from skokie, illinois lottie from los angeles arlo from chattanooga, tennessee august from jamil, california cormac from dublin, ireland dahlia from beverly hills, michigan aoife from toronto addie from houston, texas kim and jung from sykesville, maryland silas from ann arbor, michigan dassey, caleb and jordan from boston elodie from leesburg, virginia cecilia from spring, texas mackenzie from johnson city, tennessee mills from bluffdale, utah amelia and harper from waukee, iowa althea and eleanor from decorah, iowa easton from victoria, australia leo, huey and everett from cleves, ohio pippa from renton, washington apple from austin, texas iharo from monterey park, california dara from vancouver iris and tali from needham, massachusetts daphne and alistair from montclair, new jersey beth from canada brooklyn from fort wayne, indiana finley and winston from houston, texas sala and enoch from pine lake, georgia rodrigo from san antonio, texas carolyn, emma and frederick from bothell, washington lana from fort riley, kansas and xander from bluffdale, utah. We'll be back next week with an episode about baseball.

[Zoe Samara]

Thanks for listening.