The History of Cotton Candy
By Christine Harrell
When most people think of cotton candy, they probably picture the exciting experience of a county fair or amusement park. The happy screams from the rides fly around them, the echo of bells and clangs from the games filling their ears on a warm summer day. If not that, then perhaps the images of a bright, impressive circus comes to mind, with wild animals and daring feats never seen anywhere else. No matter what the imagination creates when it comes to the sugary treat, it has been with the world for centuries, longer than anyone may have assumed.
As a matter of fact, it actually originated in Italy in the 1400s. The cooks would prepare them by melting sugar in a pan, then creating strings by manipulating the sugar with a fork. This was not in the least bit easy and was quite time consuming. It was also dangerous, and the cooks were expected to keep their skin well oiled so that they could avoid nasty burns from flying hot sugar. Only the wealthy members of society were privileged enough to even get to try it, as there simply wasn”t a lot available at the time.
This would all change come the late 1800s. Two men named John Wharton and William Morris, both candy makers, came up with a special invention: the cotton candy machine. This not only made the process a lot easier and safer, but it could be made in larger numbers on top of it. In 1904 they debuted the device at St. Louis World”s Fair, selling what they called fairy floss in boxes marked at 25 cents each. It was expensive, especially for the time, but it proved to be quite popular, and soon cotton candy machines could be found in other places, as well.
It did not earn the name that many would know it as today until 1920, and it wasn”t until the 1970s that a cotton candy maker large enough to be able to ship the delight all over the world came into being. Because of this more recent convenience, one doesn”t have to know somebody or go to a designated place to find it; all they have to do is drive to the store or go online and take it home.
No matter how it”s made or where it”s available, this fluffy delicacy is something that stays in the memories and minds of children and adults everywhere.
About The Author
Author is a freelance writer. For more information on cotton candy machines please visit http://www.snappypopcorn.com/.
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