The History of Cotton Candy

We’re back with another “History Of!” It’s about time we take a look at the history of one of my favorite offerings here at The Popcorn Lady- Cotton Candy!

There are some fun alternative names for cotton candy; if you ask me, candyfloss and fairy floss are the cutest! I guess spun sugar just didn’t have enough oomph to it for some. You can find cotton candy all around the world, as it is made and sold globally. It’s simple enough to make; no wonder it’s so widespread!

Cotton candy is made with 2 simple ingredients- air and colored sugar. We’re confident that you could make it yourself, especially with our staff tutorials for our Cotton Candy Machine Rentals!

Plain old spun sugar can be dated back to Europe in the 19th century. At that time, it was time-consuming and expensive to make the sugary treat, making it pretty uncommon for the average person. Did you know that the machine-spun cotton candy that we know today was invented by a dentist? Dr. William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton are credited with the invention in 1897. Their cotton candy was first introduced to the public at the 1904 World's Fair as Fairy Floss, and it was a hit!

They sold 68,655 boxes at 25¢ per box to attendees, which would be $8.75/ box today! It didn’t take long to start finding the delicious snack at unlikely places. In 1915, food writer Julia Davis Chandler saw ‘Candy Cotton‘ up for grabs at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. 

Fast forward to now, and the world’s largest cotton candy producer is Tootsie Roll Industries!

As one of our staples, we take cotton candy seriously at The Popcorn Lady. We offer rentals, catering, and prepackaged options for all to enjoy. Speaking of, we offer over 20 different and delicious flavors of prepackaged cotton candy.  Don’t hesitate to check them out! Follow us on Instagram, and you might even catch a cotton candy giveaway! 

 

To close out, here are some fun facts about cotton candy! 

  • The longest cotton candy was 1,400m long AKA the length of 13 football fields!

  • A single thread of cotton candy is thinner than a human hair

  • A typical bag of cotton candy contains less sugar and calories than a can of soda

 

For the last fun fact, I’ll also leave you with a video showing how you can find amazing works of edible art made of Cotton Candy in Asia! 

Cotton Candy Flower - the biggest in the world / ??? / ??? / Zuckerwatte / Algodón de Azúcar