Fun Facts about cotton candy
Ever wondered who invented the first Cotton Candy machine? 🤔
Sweet history alert! In 1897, dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton spun the magic of machine -spun Cotton Candy.
Debuted as "Fairy Floss" it stole the show at the 1904 World's Fair, selling a whopping 68,655 boxes at 25 cents each (equivalent to $8.14 today)!
Ever wonder why dentists had a sweet spot for Cotton Candy?
in 1921, after Dr. Morrison's 17-year patent for the first machine fizzled out, another daring dentist, Dr. Josef Lascaux, tried to "reinvent" the machine. Though hid patent didn't take off, he did coin the term "cotton candy" and sold it to kids at his practice. The name stuck, even if it's still "fairy floss" down under!
Sweet traditions, spun through time!
Did you know? Spun sugar has been enchanting taste buds since the 17th century! Chefs would skillfully whisk melted sugar into delicate strands with a fork, adding a touch of sweetness to cakes and pastries.
Sweet Facts
Did you know? A strand of cotton candy is thinner than a human hair! Known as Cotton Candy here, this sugary delight also answers to Fairy Floss in Finland and Australia. But wait, in the Netherlands, it goes by the unique name Suikerspin, translating to Sugar Spider
Cotton Candy is dairy free, egg free, fat-free, gluten-free, and healthier than most desserts
Cotton candy contains no fat, as it's made purely from sugar. While it does have calories, there are no fats or trans fats in the treat itself. However, packaged cotton candy may contain added preservatives or flavors that could have fat content. When enjoying cotton candy at a fair, you can be sure it’s fat-free, though, given the other foods typically available at fairs, fat content likely isn't a major concern for most people.
There is Less Sugar in Cotton Candy Than in Soda
Cotton candy is made of mostly air and a small amount of colored sugar, making it a much lighter treat compared to soda. A 12-ounce can of soda contains 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories, and because it's a liquid, the sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. In contrast, cotton candy’s fluffy texture is the result of air being spun into the sugar, so even a large cone of cotton candy contains far less sugar than a can of soda. Although cotton candy tastes sweeter than soda, this is largely due to the concentrated sugar and lack of other ingredients that might mute the sweetness. Also, many sodas in the U.S. use high fructose corn syrup, which isn’t as sweet as cane sugar.
Dec. 7 is National Cotton Candy Day
December 7 is National Cotton Candy Day, which seems a bit odd since cotton candy is typically associated with warm weather, circuses, and summer festivals. The smells, sounds, and experiences tied to cotton candy are very much "summery," and cold temperatures make it harder to make the treat because the sugar cools too quickly. The reason cotton candy forms is because the sugar needs to dry slowly after being melted, and cold air causes it to clump or stick to the pan. As for why December 7 was chosen as National Cotton Candy Day, the truth is, no one really knows. Some speculate it might be linked to the birthday of the treat’s inventor or another key figure in its history, but there’s no concrete evidence. Another possibility is simply that people missed cotton candy in the winter and wanted an excuse to enjoy it.