Cotton Candy

Cotton candy is a fluffy, cloud-like treat made from spun sugar. It looks like a big, colorful cloud on a stick and melts the moment it touches your tongue. Cotton candy is a favorite treat at fairs, carnivals, and amusement parks. Even though a big puff of cotton candy looks huge, it is mostly air.

How Cotton Candy Is Made

Cotton candy is made in a special machine that spins sugar at high speed. Sugar is poured into the center of the machine, where it melts from the heat. The melted sugar is pushed through tiny holes by the spinning motion. As the sugar comes out, it cools instantly and turns into thin threads. A worker twirls a paper cone or stick around the machine to catch the threads and build up a big fluffy ball.

The History of Cotton Candy

Cotton candy was invented in 1897 by a dentist named William Morrison and a candy maker named John C. Wharton. They created a machine that could spin sugar into thin threads. They first sold cotton candy at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, where it was called "Fairy Floss." It was a huge hit and sold over 68,000 boxes. In some countries, cotton candy is still called fairy floss or candy floss.

Fun Facts

• A bag of cotton candy is about 95 percent air.
• Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.
• Cotton candy is called "fairy floss" in Australia and "candy floss" in the United Kingdom.

Did You Know?

Even though cotton candy looks huge, a typical serving has less sugar than a can of soda because it is mostly air!