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Pink cotton candy spinning fast as it is being made in a machine. By Daisy Nichols. Summer is the season of state fairs, and with state fairs comes fair food, the inevitable accompaniment to the Ferris wheel, the Scrambler, the bumper cars, and the carousel. While these are hardly the stuff of the ideal diet, cotton candy, surprisingly, is the least caloric of the lot, a mere calories for a standard one-ounce serving. The reason for this is that cotton candy is mostly non-caloric air.
The rest, however, is pure sugar. Together, in , the pair designed and patented what they called an electric candy machine: a metal bowl containing a central spinning head filled with sugar crystals and perforated with minuscule holes. Their creation worked much like modern cotton-candy machines today. At the top of the head, a heater melts the sugar, reducing it to syrup.
As the syrup sprays through the holes, it solidifies almost instantly into long skinny strands, just 50 microns two-thousandths of an inch in diameter. The syrup cools so rapidly that the sugar never gets a chance to re-crystallize, instead forming a disorganized, amorphous solid. An estimated 20 million people attended the fair, to whom Morrison and Wharton sold 68, helpings of cotton candy. In , Gold Medal sealed the deal but inventing a machine that could roll a flat piece of paper into a perfectly tapered cotton-candy cone.
Still, spun sugar was tricky and labor-intensive, and it remained—until the advent of the cotton-candy machine— a snack or dessert of the leisured rich. After all, even a serving of cotton candy the size of your head contains less sugar than a can of Coke, and unlike, say, corn dogs, it contains no cholesterol, no sodium, and no fat.
And nowadays it even comes in such flavors as mango chili, salted caramel, strawberry lemonade, and lychee green tea. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. Morrison and Wharton sold more than 68, boxes of fairy floss at the fair. The first cotton candy machines were unreliable. They rattled loudly and often broke down. In , Gold Medal Products of Cincinnati, Ohio, introduced a spring base for the machines that helped. Today, Gold Medal Products manufactures almost all cotton candy machines.
The next time you enjoy cotton candy at the state fair, take a look at the machine! You might have Gold Medal Products to thank for your snack.
So, what happens inside the cotton candy machine? First, sugar is melted until it becomes a liquid. Then, the machine spins liquid sugar by pushing it through tiny holes that shape and cool the liquid. After it cools, the sugar becomes a solid again.
The operator then rotates a paper cone around inside the machine, collecting thousands of tiny crystallized sugar threads. Pink and blue cotton candy is colored with food dyes. So if a dentist made cotton candy, it must be totally healthy, right?
Well, not necessarily. While cotton candy is pretty light on sugar compared to other carnival treats, it still has about the same amount of sugar as a can of soda. The next time you visit a carnival, take a break from the dizzying rides and challenging games. Look around for a fluffy, sweet treat! A few bites of melt-in-your-mouth cotton candy is all you need to complete your experience!
A, NGSS. B, CCRA. Are you ready to sink your teeth into something sweet? Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:. Which fair treats seem to be the most and least healthy? Talk with a friend or family member about making healthy choices at the fair.
It's difficult to create the signature cotton candy puff without the right tools, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun with sugar in your kitchen! This guide will teach you how to make homemade cotton candy. After reading, explain the process to a friend or family member. What other creative names can you come up with to describe cotton candy?
If you were going to market your own personal brand of cotton candy, what would you call it? What does it look, taste, smell, and feel like? Try to come up with some super creative names for cotton candy. Share your ideas with a friend or family member. Which names do they like best? Then, the liquid sugar is spun as the machine forces it through tiny holes that shape and cool the liquid. Once the puff of cotton candy is just the right size, it's time to eat! You are correct, Evelyn--John C.
Morrison was a dentist. Great question, Hod! Have you submitted it to our Wonder Bank yet? Thanks for asking, Hod! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author. Since we do not list the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information. Accessed 9 May It's delicious! AND terrible for you! Oh wait Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Luna! Would you rather eat pink or blue cotton candy?
Hi again, Rowan! Cotton candy is fantastic. So glad you are exploring so many different Wonders! Thanks, Wonder Friend! Hey there, Trinity! Did you know you can make cotton candy without a machine? Recruit an adult and check out the instructions by clicking here! Thanks for sharing your opinion, miguel! We all have different likes and dislikes. What do you like? Perhaps we've made a Wonder about it! Hello there, zykierria! We hope you'll read the Wonder text above to discover the answer to your question!
Hi, Lina! Cotton candy is delicious and a super popular treat! We hope this Wonder is helpful! We also encourage you to keep researching at the library and online! Ya ur right I love candy but cotten candy is the best cuz of the awesome way it melts on my tounge.
Thanks for joining the discussion about cotton candy, Lina! We're glad you liked this Wonder, too! Cotton candy is yummy! We encourage you to embark on your own Wonder Journey to learn more about cotton candy!
Hi, avery! A summary is when you tell what the passage was about in just a few sentences. You could practice writing a summary about this Wonder!
Thanks for sharing that interesting fact, delilah! We're glad you had fun exploring this Wonder! Great question, Lacy! We encourage you to use the search box to find Wonders about spiders. You can also submit your question to the Wonder Bank. Click on "What are you wondering? Thank you for your comment, Lauren! We appreciate you stopping by Wonderopolis! Thanks for joining the discussion, ava! Cotton candy is delicious! We have to be careful not to eat too much of it since it is only made with sugar!
Hi, MaryKaylen! Thanks for sharing your opinion. We all like different foods. Hi, Rachel! Great job reading the Wonder so closely! We appreciate you sharing what you learned and letting us know about Cotton Candy Day.
However, it's actually December 7th. But, you could always celebrate twice! Hi Destiny! We've never had the chocolate kind of cotton candy! That sounds interesting! We'd love to try it! We're glad to hear it, Wonder Friend Kate! We are getting hungry just thinking about that tasty cotton candy! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis, Jennifer! We have a sweet tooth and have Wondered about plenty of other types of candy too, like candy corn. Check it out!
Hi there, MB, we're glad you liked our sugary Wonder! Thanks for sharing your comment with us! We are glad to know that you love cotton candy, too! We're happy that you are interested in learning more about that delicious treat known as cotton candy! We would love to hear about what you find! Hey there Claire! That's so great! WOW, we're so excited that you shared your comment with us, Bridget! We're so glad that you were inspired to write a summary for school! Nice work!
We think the term "fairy floss" is pretty cool, too, Team McNeil 2! Thanks for sharing that you always get two bags of cotton candy when you go to the pool We're not sure when the popular name for cotton candy changed from fairy floss. We just know that cotton candy is a fun treat to share with friends!
Thanks for visiting this Wonder and leaving us a comment today, Jocelyn! We can tell you learned a lot about cotton candy, Olivia! That was super clever! Hi, Sunshine! Have you tried nominating your own Wonder of the Day? You can tell us what you're wondering about anytime you feel like it by clicking on the "nominate a wonder" link at the top of every page in wonderopolis.
Try it out!
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