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How did cotton candy get started?

How did cotton candy get started?

Cotton candy as we know it was first created in 1897 when a dentist named William Morrison joined forces with a confectioner by the name of John C. Wharton. Together, the duo created a machine that spun heated sugar through a screen, creating the floss-like texture that we all know and love.

Who first created cotton candy?

William Morrison
Cotton candy/Inventors

Surprisingly, the inventor of cotton candy was actually a dentist! In 1897 William Morrison teamed up with Tennessee candy maker, John Wharton, to create the concoction. The duo premiered cotton candy in 1908 at the World’s Fair. The price was only 25 cents.

How was cotton candy invented by a dentist?

Wharton, worked together to produce a machine (which they called the “electric candy machine”) that melted sugar in a spinning central chamber and then used air to force the melted sugar through a wire screen into the surrounding metal bowl to produce the gauzy , spider-webby sweet that we now know so well.

Did a dentist create cotton candy?

Airy spun sugar, cotton candy—AKA Fairy floss—is a pink, fluffy cloud that kids’ dreams are made of. Surprisingly, the inventor of cotton candy was actually a dentist! In 1897 William Morrison teamed up with Tennessee candy maker, John Wharton, to create the concoction.

How did Fairy Floss get its name?

Wharton, and invented a machine that heated sugar in a spinning bowl, which had several tiny holes in it. The sugar in the hot, spinning bowl caramelized and made its way through the holes turning the melted sugar into light strands. They called this sugary treat “Fairy Floss”.

Does cotton candy expire?

Unopened in a standard plastic bag, cotton candy will last three days to three weeks. Cotton candy does not technically expire for years as the primary ingredient is sugar. Most expiration dates you see reflect a date when deflation can happen, not necessarily when the cotton candy has actually gone bad.

How did the invention of cotton candy come about?

They were sticky and could be made in many shapes. Cotton candy was introduced when the sugar industry advanced.

How does Cotton Candy get its unique texture?

Cotton candy gets its unique texture from the fact that the sugar cools so rapidly that the particles cannot fully recrystallize. They’re left in a weird, semi-liquid state which, believe it or not, makes cotton candy to sugar what glass is to sand. Yes, cotton candy is basically thin, poofy sugar-glass.

How is cotton candy made at a carnival?

The candy is made by heating and liquefying sugar, spinning it centrifugally through minute holes—by which the sugar rapidly cools and re-solidifies into fine strands. It is often sold at fairs, circuses, carnivals, and festivals—served in a plastic bag or on a stick or paper cone.

Where can you find cotton candy in the world?

Since its invention over a hundred years ago, cotton candy has grown from the small-town “fairy floss” treat of a two-man company to a cultural phenomenon. From Tokyo, Japan to Madrid, Spain, you can find cotton candy almost anywhere in the world.