About National Cotton Candy Day
Today we celebrate the sweetest day of the year. December 7th marks World Cotton Candy Day, one of the most popular treats of all time preferred by adults and children.
Who has not enjoyed a delicious cotton candy during a walk to the park, in the zoo, at a fair or at a children's event? It is a sweet and unforgettable memory of our childhood.
How did cotton candy originate?
This well-known treat had its origin in Italy, in the fifteenth century. The confectioners of that time heated the sugar to form a liquid caramel, creating fine threads of sugar for decoration in cakes.
Cotton candy first made its appearance in the early 1900s, and oddly enough, the spun sugar treat was invented by a dentist, William Morrison, and a confectioner, John C. Wharton.
The two marketed their creation as "fairy floss" at the 1904 World's Fair. It was later renamed cotton candy in the 1920s.
In 1949 the company Gold Medal Products created a model of cotton candy machine with more resistant metal parts, consolidating this treat among consumers at a low price.
How is cotton candy made?
The production of cotton candy is a very simple process. Sugar is poured into the ring of a small hopper with an electric heater. The heat melts the sugar until it becomes liquid.
The liquid sugar comes out of the holes into the container, in the form of thousands of threads that are thrown by the force of the turn, generating a kind of sugar web. With a paper cone or a wooden stick it rises, spinning until it forms a soft and fluffy texture ready to eat and enjoy.
Food or vegetable coloring is usually added in the preparation, to give color to cotton candy.
You can make cotton candy at home in a very simple way. You will only need the necessary ingredients, a large pot or saucepan and a pastry brush. Look for a video or recipe on the internet and you will be surprised how easy and fast it is to make this delicious treat.
There are several makes and models of professional cotton candy machines, as well as simpler and cheaper versions.
Did you know? Curiosities about cotton candy
Here are some curious and interesting facts about this candy with the appearance of a sweet cotton cloud:
- Cotton candy has different names around the world. In England, it's called candy floss. In Australia and Finland, it's called fairy floss. In the Netherlands, it's known as suikerspin, which means “sugar spider.” And our favorite name is the French, where it's called barbe à papa, which means papa's beard.
- Some of the rarest and most extravagant recipes made with cotton candy are ice cream with cotton candy and cotton candy pizza.
- To make cotton candy, two fundamental elements are required: heat and centrifugal force.
- Each 100-gram serving of cotton candy has 643 kilocalories.
- In several Latin American countries, street vendors offer cotton candy, on streets and squares. While in countries like Spain it can be found in fairs, processions and popular festivals.
- Cotton candy has no smell, even though cotton candy machines are characterized by a strong caramel smell.
