Dentists will routinely tell you to stay away from sugar, but not William Morrison. Everyone’s favourite spun sugar candy treat was actually invented by a dentist in 1897.
In collaboration with a confectioner named John C Wharton, Morrison introduced cotton candy in 1897. Together, they devised a machine capable of spinning heated sugar over a screen, ultimately giving birth to the candy's distinctive and iconic floss-like texture.
Cotton candy was first made accessible to the public at the 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair. Back then, cotton candy, often referred to as "Fairy floss," gained immense popularity, with the two vendors selling a staggering 68,000 boxes by the fair's end.
Due to patent regulations, the company that initially pioneered sugar spun candy enjoyed a 25-year monopoly over its production and sale following its inception.
In 1921, another dentist named Joseph Lascaux entered the cotton candy scene. He changed the name of the candy to "cotton candy" because he made his own machine similar to the previous one after Morrison for his dental clients, and he wanted to avoid confusion between his and the original. Lascaux also thought that the candy resembled the cotton grown in Louisiana.
How is cotton candy made?
Cotton candy may not be part of a healthy diet, but it has fewer calories than most other candies, according to National Geographic. With 105 calories in a typical one-ounce serving size.
Using a heater to melt the sugar, which is then forced through tiny holes in the spinning head, the sugar quickly solidifies into the amorphous "cotton candy" or "candy floss" we all know and love.
Why is cotton candy colourful?
Have you ever wondered about the rationale behind the various hues of white, pink, yellow, and blue seen in cotton candy? Well, the explanation is rather straightforward. According to Portable Press, colored cotton candy, with pink being the favored choice, is deemed more appealing and enticing than its white counterpart.
Interestingly, the same dentist who introduced us to the sugar-spun candy that has become a cultural sensation also happens to be responsible for the candy with the lowest calorie content. It appears that concerns about health are still at the forefront of our minds, don't they?
