A Sugar Candy Tale: How Is Cotton Candy Made? Cool Fun Facts For Kids

You are never too old for a sugary treat like cotton candy!

Do you remember the pink-colored, fluffy fairy floss the vendor distributed at the corner of the street? Those memories define the pure nostalgia of childhood days, the unparalleled joy that lives in the heart and souls of people even today.

While growing up, did you not get carried away by the colorful treats hanging all over the stalls in carnivals, fairs, and amusement parks? The soft and fluffy cotton candy made from sugar that instantly melts inside your mouth is nothing less than a heavenly experience.

Also called a fairy floss, candy floss gets its name from the Sanskrit term 'khanda,' which translates as 'a piece of sugar,' while 'floss' most probably has its roots in the Latin 'floccus,' which implies 'tuft of wool.'

The name was widely used to refer to thin strands of crystallized sugar folded around a wooden stick or paper cone to create a large, soft, and puffy spun sugar.

The combination of sugar and air gives it a puffy cotton-like shape. Even today, when you visit a carnival or fair, the fairy floss is unmissable.

What about the bright and broad smiles that it leaves on your face every time you take a bite? It's perfectly fine to treat yourself to cotton candy once in a while, but too much of these candies might be damaging for your oral health.

So, without any second thought, keep indulging in the guilty pleasure for some nostalgic rejuvenation.

Throughout much of history, it has been customary to use spun sugar for preparing a plethora of sweet treats. However, the use of spun sugar proved to be extremely elaborate, labor-intensive, and expensive, so that only the elite class could afford it.

It was only in the late 19th century that it became possible to make candy floss from spun sugar with ease. William Morrison and John C. Wharton collaboratively invented the electric-powered candy-making machine to make candy floss from spun sugar.

The cotton candy machine consisted of a metallic bowl that had a spinning head at the center with innumerable tiny holes. This was filled with crystals of sugar.

The function of this machine was quite similar to modern machines. The heater attached at the tip of the spinning head helped to melt the sugar crystals, thereby converting them to syrup.

The design was patented in 1897.

The invention called 'fairy floss' was introduced to the world at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1908, where Morrison and Wharton sold a candy box for 25 cents. Although it was quite pricey back at that time, it became outrageously popular among people and they readily purchased these expensive candies.

At the World's Fair, Morrison and Wharton managed to sell over 68,000 fairy floss boxes! However, the first invented cotton candy machines came with certain flaws: they produced loud rattling sounds and broke down frequently.

This problem was resolved by Gold Medal Products Company, in 1949 with the introduction of the spring base. Gold Medal Products currently manufactures and supplies the vast majority of cotton candy machines worldwide.

For more sugar-coated facts about cotton candy, keep reading. You can also learn some fascinating facts about how is cheese made? and how is coffee made?

How is cotton candy made step by step?

You don't have to hunt for a cotton candy stall every time you crave this sugary treat. You can simply follow these easy steps to make your favorite cotton candy. Put the ingredients on the kitchen counter and get going!

To execute the easy hand-spun method of cotton candy, you need ingredients such as eight cups granulated sugar, two tablespoons vanilla extract, two cups corn syrup, half a teaspoon salt, two cups of water, and three to four drops of food coloring (pink, purple, or red). Don't forget to keep lollipop sticks handy for serving purposes.

Combine all the ingredients, except the food coloring and vanilla extract, in a pan and start heating over a medium flame. You need to keep stirring until the sugar granules start melting.

Now, you need to check the temperature.

For this, you can use a candy thermometer and check in short intervals if the mixture has acquired the required temperature of 320 F (160 C). After reaching the ideal temperature, pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl.

The last step is to add the vanilla extract and your preferred food coloring and stir until it cools. Your homemade sugary treat is ready!

However, if you are interested in investing in an actual cotton candy machine, then the science behind that may increase your love for this yummy treat! The modern cotton candy machine was developed from the 19th-century invention of William Morrison and John C. Wharton.

To make cotton candy, sugar is first melted to its liquid or syrup state. This is followed by spinning when the machine pushes the liquid sugar through the minuscule holes.

A centrifugal force whips up the sugar with 3,400 revolutions in a single minute, resulting in syrup. This action helps to give proper shape to the cotton candy while simultaneously cooling it.

Once the sugar cools down after being spun, it returns to its solid state. The candymaker then extracts the thin strands of crystallized sugar by collecting them in a circular motion from inside the cotton candy machine with a simple paper cone.

Now, you must be wondering about the pink and blue colors of the candy floss. Well, it's nothing but food coloring.

How is a cotton candy grape made?

Have you heard about the grape that tastes exactly like cotton candy? The production of this grape was the outcome of hybridization.

The cotton candy grape was created at Bakersfield's International Fruit Genetics when a horticulturist called David Cain and his team experimented by hybridizing two species of grapes: Vitis vinifera (a common California grape) and Concord grapes. Concord grape already had the cotton candy taste but the fruit had minute seeds and was extremely fragile.

Cain worked on these drawbacks and enhanced the texture and size. This experiment took around 12 years, and thousands of plants were grown inside test tubes before Cain achieved his final breakthrough.

The result of the cross-breeding was grapes tasting of cotton candy, with a sugar content of 0.07 oz (2 g).

However, Cain didn't use any artificial flavoring for his genetically engineered cotton candy grape. After this invention, growers in Brazil, Peru, Chile, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Mexico, and Australia readily adopted this fruit for plantation.

Traders Joe's and Metropolitan Market are some famous retailers of the cotton candy grape. This grape is consumed across all US states in its season.

How is cotton candy flavor made?

Check out these easy-peasy ways of preparing the cotton candy flavor.

How to get the cotton candy flavor? Let's start off by identifying what cotton candy tastes like.

Simply take a bite from the cotton candy cone. Doesn't the soft, fuzzy sweet that melts in your mouth taste heavenly? The cotton candy flavor can be characterized by a caramelized, sweet, berry-like fruity taste.

This flavor comes from the only major ingredient that is used to prepare cotton candy: sugar. The production of cotton candy involves using sugar that is spun to create thin threads which are popularly called 'sugar glass.' Spun sugar has been used to produce a variety of confections.

For instance, pişmaniye is a variation popular in Turkey while many in India consume what is known as soan papdi. China's famous dragon’s-beard candy and Korea's kkul-tarae are very similar to cotton candy.

How is cotton candy ice cream made?

What about a cup of cotton candy ice cream on a hot, sultry afternoon? Sounds mouthwatering, right? A cotton candy ice cream is just the perfect relaxation after a hectic workday. Check out these simple ways to make cotton candy ice cream. It just takes four ingredients and a few minutes!

Let's begin with the ingredients. It goes without saying that you will need ice cream to prepare this recipe.

You can either get the flavors of your choice from the nearest store or just make them at home. What could be more interesting than making your own bowl of ice cream?

You will need four cups of heavy whipped cream, four teaspoons of cotton candy flavoring, blue or pink food coloring (you can use both to add more color), and a can of condensed milk (cold). The cream should be very cold, so make sure to freeze it well before use.

Before you start the cooking process, put the loaf pan, large bowl, and whisk in the freezer for about half an hour. Next, add the whipped cream to the bowl and beat it vigorously with the whisk.

You can also use the hand blender. Keep beating for about four minutes till stiff peaks start appearing. In another container, combine the condensed milk and the cotton candy flavoring and stir it to form a smooth mixture.

Now, start pouring in this mixture and fold it with the whipped cream. Once combined, divide the final mixture into two different bowls.

Add the pink food coloring in one bowl, and blue in the other. This is the last stage before putting it in the freezer.

Scoop out some of the mixture from each bowl alternatively and spread it on the pan randomly. For garnishing, you can sprinkle some jimmies.

All that remains to be done is to freeze the mixture overnight and the next morning when you open the freezer, voila! You have your cotton candy sugar in all its glory.

Did You Know...

In addition to history, there are quite a few interesting facts related to the effects of cotton candy on one's health. Although cotton candy is not particularly favored by health enthusiasts, it is consumed as a treat all over the world. A visit to the carnival or fair is incomplete without cotton candy.

Moreover, the inventor is William Morrison, an American dentist. The question remains: is it really detrimental to health? Let's find out.

We often hear a dentist's suggestion to brush and floss our teeth daily and most, importantly, stay away from candies and all things sugary. Ironically, this delectable concoction was the result of the joint effort of a dentist named William Morrison and John C. Wharton, a confectioner.

They made cotton candy an undying trend. As you know by now, cotton candy is made out of sugar combined with only a tiny amount of coloring and flavoring agents.

Astonishingly, a small serving of 1 oz (28 g) of cotton candy puff contains only about 105 calories, as a paper cone filled with cotton candy contains only a single teaspoon of sugar. On the other hand, a can of soda is filled with 12-18 teaspoons of sugar.

This suggests that the sweet snack has a comparatively less sugar content than funnel cakes, lollipops, or candy apples. In fact, it is far less damaging than a bottle of regular Coke or a can of soda.

Also, the shelf life of cotton candy is not too long. You must have noticed that cotton candy dissolves in thin air and loses its shape.

However, consuming too much sugar can cause health issues like obesity and diabetes. Regular consumption of sugar in the form of cotton candy can prove to be lethal.

Therefore, you don't need to cut out cotton candy entirely. You just need to be wise in your actions and limit the intake.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'A sugar candy tale: how is cotton candy made? Cool fun facts for kids' then why not take a look at 'When do kittens start pooping?

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