The first known making of cotton candy was around the 18th Century. It was a very labor-involved endeavor, and for the most part was not available to the general public. Cotton candy machine spun confectionery was invented by two entrepreneurs, William Morrison and John Wharton, in 1897. They brought their fluffy treat to the to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, selling almost 70,000 bags and calling it "Fairy Floss." In 1920 it was renamed cotton candy by a carnival hawker who said it just popped into his head and seemed quite natural and fitting.

Cotton Candy Machine

The cotton candy machine basically consists of a small bowl that refined sugar is poured into with food coloring added. The cotton candy maker then spins the bowl at very high speed. Heaters installed at the rim melt the sugar. It is then squeezed out through small holes by centrifugal force.

Sugar Solidifies

When the sugar solidifies it is then caught in a metal bowl that surrounds the central reservoir sugar bowl. The operator of the machine turns a stick around the tip rim of the catching bowl. This catches the sugar threads into portions. Machines of the modern era work in much the same manner.

Texture

Due to its amorphous nature it dissolves quickly with the taste of the tongue, sticky and sweet, feeling like spun wool to the touch. Once exposed to the air because the sugar is hydgroscopic the spun candy will become harder, more coarse and less fluffy. When the cotton candy machine is cooking off the sugar it creates a cooked sugar aroma that floats through the fairgrounds, drawing crowds of kids who stand in wonder.

Conclusion

Cotton candy machines are sold the world over through the Internet. It would not be a summer fair unless that sweet delicate aroma floated through the warm crisp atmosphere into the senses of every youngster that paid an admission price. The sweet treat has been standard fare at events the world over. It can be found at the Strawberry festivals in California, on the board walks in St. Monica and rock concerts at Riverport in St. Louis. That warm fluffy treat is what makes being a child so delightful. A child will always remember a summer when they were young when they did not take part in the wonderful consumption of the popular sugar-spun confection.