Cotton Candy Art II

Cotton candy is also known as candyfloss, fairy floss, or simply as spun sugar, because that is actually all that it is made of.

Cotton candy goes way back to the 1400s when Italians melted sugar in a pan, strung it over an upside down bowl with a fork and served it as a dessert.

This form of spun sugar was only affordable for the rich, because it was very labor intensive. It remained that way until 1897, when William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented a machine that spun cotton candy.

It was introduced at the World's Fair of 1904 and was called Fairy Floss, where it became accessible to everyone and even though it sold for 25 cents, which was still rather high at that time, it was a huge success. In the 1920s, the name changed to cotton candy.

The reason why cotton candy is normally rather large, is because it is so full of air. In case you are watching your weight and wonder about the amount of calories you would be consuming: one ounce (normal serving size) contains about 100 to 115 calories.

Did you know there is a National Cotton Candy Day in the United States? I didn't, but I found out it is celebrated each year on December 7. I will keep that in mind for next year!