It is fluffy, bright, airy and delicious. And it is also a favorite delicacy of adults and children. You have already guessed that we are talking about cotton candy. Probably, you are still fascinated by the process of preparing this product. We've all seen it done when we were kids. We all made amazed eyes when a huge air mass swelled from one small sugar lump. But as adults, we still see it as a magic trick. Why does cotton candy have an airy texture and why does it have different shades? Here are some interesting facts from the history of the popular delicacy.

Two main secrets

Despite the fact that the product is almost 100 percent sugar, it has a lot of fans. The reason for this is a whole bunch of unique flavors and a surprisingly delicate texture. If you fill this cotton texture with milk, strawberry, vanilla or grape syrup, you will get a real confectionery miracle at the end. Cotton candy is several times more popular than caramel, chocolates and cookies. Perhaps you will not find a more stellar delicacy in the world.

First public appearance

The first cotton candy machine was presented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Eyewitnesses did not remember other inventions. One of them was so cunning that it immediately attracted attention. A metal drum appeared before people, which rotated very quickly due to centrifugal force. When a slightly melted lump of sugar was placed in the container, the magic began. A simple ingredient turned into thin long threads, which gradually gathered into a ball. Interspersed with the air layer, the sugar stretched and formed many sticky fibers. To give the resulting canvas a shape, the master armed himself with a stick and rolled the threads into a cone. As they say, everything ingenious is simple.

Many names

In different countries of the world, this delicacy is called differently. For example, in Italy it is “sugar yarn”, and in China and Japan it is “old woman's hair”. The French call cotton candy "grandfather's beard", and somewhere it is called "tooth fairy".

Who invented the cotton candy machine?

Ironically, the inventor of the product was a dentist named William Morrison, who once volunteered to help his pastry chef friend John Wharton.

Medieval confectioners made dessert by hand

Starting from the 15th century, the best European confectioners tried to produce the delicacy by hand. The process was so laborious that only the most noble and wealthy members of society could afford "sugar yarn". Just imagine that each fiber from the sugar melted in the pan was stretched with the help of forks by hand! We can assume that the invention of William Morrison gave way to the product to the masses.

Bright hit at fairs and carnivals

By tradition, since its inception, the airy delicacy has been sold at mass sporting events, carnivals and fairs. Modern options include bright colors, which are achieved through dyes.

Who invented the cotton candy machine?

A product from childhood, which we know as cotton candy, is called differently in other languages.

In America it is called cotton candy, which is closest to ours - cotton candy, although earlier in the USA a different name was adopted: fairy floss- magic fluff, however, as now in Australia. And in England, something in between these two took root: candy floss- sweet fluff.
In France, cotton candy is called barbe a papa, i.e. father's beard, in Germany - Zuckerwolle, or sugar wool (yarn), in Italy - zucchero filato, i.e. sugar yarn (thread).

Modern machine for making cotton candy at home
Confectionery in the form of threads obtained from melted sugar has been known for a long time. There are stories (legends) that the ancient Romans had slaves who knew how to make such sweets. If there is any truth to this story, it makes cotton candy one of the many technologies lost during the Middle Ages. This art was revived (or first appeared) in the middle of the 18th century. But the manufacturing process was manual, extremely laborious, as a result of which this product was expensive and therefore inaccessible to the common man. In the East, similar confectionery products are also known, for example, Persian pashmak and Turkish Pismaniye although the latter is made with flour in addition to sugar.

In order for a product to become mass, it must be cheap. With raw materials, in this case, there are no problems - sugar is relatively cheap and little is consumed per serving. The problem is the complexity, the speed of production. To make cotton candy truly a mass product, it was necessary to mechanize the process of its production, i.e. create an apparatus or machine for the rapid manufacture of this product. And such a machine was created in the USA at the end of the 19th century.

Invented a machine for making cotton candy William Morrison (William Morrison) And John Wharton (John C. Wharton), the filing date of the application for which (12/23/1897) is considered the date of invention of the apparatus. The method of production and the installation itself are simple to the point of genius. The molten sugar heated by a gas burner, located in a rotating container, was forced through a series of small holes or a grid on the periphery of this container due to centrifugal force. Picked up by the air flow from the compressor, thin streams of molten sugar instantly crystallized in the form of thin threads, similar to cotton wool or wool, and were collected by the operator on a wooden or cardboard stick in the form of a ball. The rotation of the sugar container and the air compressor was carried out using a foot drive, similar to the drives of sewing machines.

The first plant for the production of cotton candy, 1899.

The first electric apparatus for the production of cotton candy, 1903.

To familiarize the public with the new product, the inventors chose the 1904 trade show in Louisiana, otherwise known as the World's Fair in St. Louis, in the materials of which it was recorded that Electric Candy Company earned $17,164 by selling 68,655 boxes of cotton candy (370 boxes for each day of the show) at a price of 25 cents.
Named Inventors Fairy Floss and packed in bright chipped wood boxes (probably made of wood or veneer), the new product was very popular, despite the high price for that time. Suffice it to say that the entrance ticket to this fair, with access to all its attractions, cost 50 cents, and some department stores of that time advertised men's shirts for 25 cents.
It should be said that the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis was a significant event not only for America, but perhaps for the whole world. If we talk only about food products, then it was at this fair that, in addition to cotton candy, the famous sandwiches also appeared for the first time. Hot Dogs, cold tea ( iced tea), roller and cone ice cream wafers, peanut butter confections, i.e. these are products without which it is difficult to imagine modern America.

After this exhibition, the cotton candy industry began to develop rapidly.

For such production, which is already mass, completely different devices are needed, namely automatic machines that would continuously produce cotton candy, divide it into portions and transfer it to packaging. And such machines were created.

Over time, cotton candy has, of course, changed. A great achievement in the development of cotton candy production technology is the appearance of color, smell and taste in this product. Today, we are very suspicious of artificial colors and flavors, and therefore these achievements look dubious. And yet, packaged cotton wool made from pure sugar is now difficult to find.

More than a hundred years have passed since the invention of the apparatus for the production of cotton candy.

Although the principle of making cotton candy has not changed much, the technique and technology have gone far ahead compared to the first machines. This type of business has gone very far from the fair tents, turning into a whole area of ​​​​the food industry. However, even now, somewhere with a mass gathering of people, you can see a cotton candy seller with his apparatus, surrounded by children and their parents. Someone starts their business in this way, someone remembers their childhood, and someone just enjoys life.

Why this happens: when we have cotton candy in our hands, we all turn into children! Maybe its original name - magic fluff - was the most accurate? ..

Veronica Trifonenko.

Sugar lips, cotton candy.
Big eyes and sweet too.
I count the poles and greenery in the fences.
And the sky is such that it is loud and a lot.

I feel so good and it seems possible
Burn, dissolve, become something else.
Touching again sweet dreams.
Smiles and glances, a shared secret

Not hidden by darkness. The Secret of Happiness.
Laughing and looking for something with your eyes.
I don't know, it's just magic.
Once again smile, drown in a kiss.
Now I'm alive. Amen. Hallelujah.

Cotton candy is one of the most popular sweets around the world. In America, it was nicknamed "cotton sweetness" (cotton candy), in England - "magic silk thread" (fairу floss), in Germany - "sugar wool" (Zuckerwolle), in Italy - "sugar yarn" (zucchero filato), in France - "grandfather's beard" (barbe a papa).

Despite legends that sweets like cotton candy were produced in ancient Rome, but were extremely expensive due to the complexity of production, no evidence of this has been found. but it is documented that the date of birth of cotton candy is 1893. It was in this year that William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented the cotton candy machine. This is evidenced by US patent No. 618428, the filing date of the application for which (12/23/1897) is considered the date of the invention of the cotton candy apparatus.

The method of production and the installation itself are simple, almost to the point of genius. The molten sugar heated by a gas burner, located in a rotating container, was forced through a series of small holes or a grid on the periphery of this container due to centrifugal force. Picked up by the air flow from the compressor, thin streams of molten sugar instantly crystallized in the form of thin threads, similar to cotton wool or wool, and were collected by the operator on a wooden or cardboard stick in the form of a ball. The rotation of the sugar container and the air compressor was carried out using a foot drive, similar to the drives of sewing machines.

To familiarize the public with the new product, the inventors chose the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, otherwise known as the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, in the materials of which it was recorded that the Electric Candy Company made $17,164 by selling 68,655 boxes of cotton candy (370 boxes for each day of the show) at a price of 25 cents.

Named Fairy Floss by the inventors and packaged in colorful wooden boxes, the new product was hugely popular despite the high price tag for the time. Suffice it to say that the entrance ticket to this fair, with access to all its attractions, cost 50 cents, and some department stores of that time advertised men's shirts for 25 cents.

Virtually all sources claim that the cotton candy sold at the St. Louis World's Fair was made on electric machines, and that Morrison and Wharton are the inventors of the electric machine for its production. But in patent #618428 there is no hint of the use of electricity, neither as heating nor as a drive. The thing is that by 1904 the apparatus had been significantly improved, including electrical heating.

As often happens, the tandem of cotton candy inventors, however, as well as their Electric Candy Company, did not last long. The reason for their break is unknown to me, but Morrison received the next US patent No. 816114 in March 1906 himself. The company was divided, renamed, but existed. Here is an advertisement for products from the Electric Candy Floss Machine Company, Inc. from the middle of the 20th century.

More than a hundred years have passed since the invention of the apparatus for the production of cotton candy. Although the principle of making cotton candy has not changed much, the technique and technology have gone far ahead compared to the first machines. This is not surprising, because. this type of business has gone very far from fair tents, turning into a whole area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe food industry. However, even now, somewhere with a mass gathering of people, you can see a cotton candy seller with his apparatus, surrounded by children and their parents. Someone starts their own business in this way, someone remembers their childhood, and someone just enjoys life.

Cotton candy is one of the favorite treats for children and adults at any holiday, fair or amusement park. But many do not know the history of this sweet and airy product.

In 1897, William James Morrison, former president of the Tennessee Dental Association, created a machine capable of producing fluffy strands of crystalline sugar (this dentist with a degree also wrote several children's books and invented a replacement for cottonseed oil fat). But Morrison didn't pull this sweet treat out of thin air - cotton candy's predecessor was popular in 15th century Italy. To create this delicacy, the caramelized crystals can be fluffed up with a fork or whisk. As a result, thin sticks, sweets, sculptural figures are obtained, which were used to decorate the table or even became part of the interior. During the time of Henry III of France, a banquet was held in Venice, where pieces of furniture and paintings were created from molded sugar. In an age of decadence, when high sugar prices plummeted, the sweet treat became more common. And in the late 1800s, several cookbooks even included instructions on how to turn ordinary sugar into a special treat. As explained in a treatise on the art of boiling sugar, published in London in 1884, “spun sugar can also be cooked in vases, vessels, etc., separate parts can be prepared and then glued together with a small amount of sugar used in the process. ". It was the most difficult and most interesting element of confectionery art.

Then there were machines that cooked unkempt chunks of puff sugar. Patented in 1897 by Morrison and John Wharton, the devices consisted of rotating plates that were set in motion by the feet and heated by a coal or oil lamp. Using centrifugal force, the machine expelled crystalline sugar from a hot plate through a series of small holes to form "thread sugar or silk threads". The patent application stated that the purpose of the invention was to obtain a food product consisting of strands of melted sugar, or candy. Very soon, the inventors put their business on stream and, despite the high price for those times, their products were a resounding success, which they still enjoy. By the way, the process of making cotton candy has not changed much to this day.
In different countries, cotton candy is called differently: for example, in America - “cotton sweetness” (сotton candy), in Italy - “sugar yarn” (zucchero filato), in Germany - “sugar wool” (Zuckerwolle), in England - "Magic silk thread" (fairу floss), in France - "grandfather's beard" (barbe a papa).

The French loved this tasty treat so much that they even made an unusual cotton candy flavored vodka called Cotton Candy Liqueur.

Cotton candy is one of the most popular sweets around the world. In America, it was nicknamed "cotton sweetness" (cotton candy), in England - "magic silk thread" (fairу floss), in Germany - "sugar wool" (Zuckerwolle), in Italy - "sugar yarn" (zucchero filato), in France - "grandfather's beard" (barbe a papa).

Despite legends that sweets like cotton candy were produced in ancient Rome, but were extremely expensive due to the complexity of production, no evidence of this has been found. but it is documented that the date of birth of cotton candy is 1893. It was in this year that William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented the cotton candy machine. This is evidenced by US patent No. 618428, the filing date of the application for which (12/23/1897) is considered the date of the invention of the cotton candy apparatus.

The method of production and the installation itself are simple, almost to the point of genius. The molten sugar heated by a gas burner, located in a rotating container, was forced through a series of small holes or a grid on the periphery of this container due to centrifugal force. Picked up by the air flow from the compressor, thin streams of molten sugar instantly crystallized in the form of thin threads, similar to cotton wool or wool, and were collected by the operator on a wooden or cardboard stick in the form of a ball. The rotation of the sugar container and the air compressor was carried out using a foot drive, similar to the drives of sewing machines.

To familiarize the public with the new product, the inventors chose the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, otherwise known as the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, in the materials of which it was recorded that the Electric Candy Company made $17,164 by selling 68,655 boxes of cotton candy (370 boxes for each day of the show) at a price of 25 cents.

Named Fairy Floss by the inventors and packaged in colorful wooden boxes, the new product was hugely popular despite the high price tag for the time. Suffice it to say that the entrance ticket to this fair, with access to all its attractions, cost 50 cents, and some department stores of that time advertised men's shirts for 25 cents.

Virtually all sources claim that the cotton candy sold at the St. Louis World's Fair was made on electric machines, and that Morrison and Wharton are the inventors of the electric machine for its production. But in patent #618428 there is no hint of the use of electricity, neither as heating nor as a drive. The thing is that by 1904 the apparatus had been significantly improved, including electrical heating.

As often happens, the tandem of cotton candy inventors, however, as well as their Electric Candy Company, did not last long. The reason for their break is unknown to me, but Morrison received the next US patent No. 816114 in March 1906 himself. The company was divided, renamed, but existed. Here is an advertisement for products from the Electric Candy Floss Machine Company, Inc. from the middle of the 20th century.

More than a hundred years have passed since the invention of the apparatus for the production of cotton candy. Although the principle of making cotton candy has not changed much, the technique and technology have gone far ahead compared to the first machines. This is not surprising, because. this type of business has gone very far from fair tents, turning into a whole area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe food industry. However, even now, somewhere with a mass gathering of people, you can see a cotton candy seller with his apparatus, surrounded by children and their parents. Someone starts their own business in this way, someone remembers their childhood, and someone just enjoys life.