The origins of cotton candy trace back centuries, all the way to Renaissance Italy. Back then, chefs melted and spun sugar manually. The process included them pulling the candy into thin strands using forks and draping it over broom handles. These hand-spun candies were not only labour-intensive but also expensive.
However, the cotton candy we know and love today didn’t make its debut till the 19th century. Who introduced this sugary treat? Believe it or not, a dentist named Dr. William Morrison created cotton candy. In 1897, Dr. Morrison teamed up with candy maker, John C. 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 caramelised and made its way through the holes turning the melted sugar into light strands. They called this sugary treat “Fairy Floss”.
In 1904, the two inventors introduced their machine and fun snack at the St. Louis World’s Fair and sold 68,000 boxes over 6 months for 25¢ each ($6.75 in today’s money). The treat was so popular, a candy store purchased the electric machine and started selling the fairy floss just a year later. In 1949, Gold Medal Products created the first factory-made cotton candy machine. This helped cotton candy production become what it is today!
Credit: www.gmpopcorn.com