Cotton candy
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Cotton candy (American English), candy floss (British English / Hiberno English), or fairy floss (Australian English) is a form of spun sugar. It was introduced in 1904 by William Morrison and John C. Wharton, at the St. Louis World's Fair as "Fairy Floss"[1] with great success, selling 68,655 boxes at the then-high $0.25 ($5.70 in 2007 dollars), half the cost of admission to the fair.
Cotton candy is made from sugar and food coloring. Modern cotton candy machines work in very much the same way as older ones. The center part of the machine consists of a small bowl into which sugar is poured and food coloring added. Heaters near the rim melt the sugar and it is spun out through tiny holes where it solidifies in the air and is caught in a large metal bowl. The operator of the machine twirls a stick, a cone, or their hands around the rim of the large catching bowl, gathering the candy into portions.
Because cotton candy consists of mostly air, servings are large. A typical cotton candy cone will be a bit bigger than an adult's head. Many people consider eating cotton candy part of the quintessential experience of a visit to a fairground or circus. The most popular color of cotton candy is pink, though any color can be made. Eating cotton candy is often considered only part of its allure, the second part being the act of watching it being produced in a machine. Sweet and sticky, it dissolves quickly in the mouth (due to its amorphous nature) although it feels like wool to the touch. It does not have much of an aroma although the machine itself has a cooked sugar smell when in operation. Cotton candy is soft and fluffy when dry, but when it comes in contact with moisture, it becomes sticky and damp. Because the sugar is hygroscopic, and has a very large surface area, it will become coarser, harder and generally less "flossy" once exposed to the atmosphere (because the amorphous sugar slowly crystallises). In humid climates, cotton candy should be eaten within a couple of hours or it will be much less enjoyable.
Above and beyond possible issues connected with ingesting nearly pure sugar, research published in 2008 suggests that Tartrazine (E102), the food coloring used in cotton candy, is linked to hyperactive behavior and decreased intelligence in children.[2]
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[edit] Trivia
- USA celebrates National Cotton Candy Day on December 7th.
- In Greece, India and Israel it is known as "old woman's hair" albeit in their respective languages.
- In French, it is called Barbe à papa, which means "Papa's beard"
- Dairy Queen will sometimes sell cotton candy flavored Blizzards for a temporary promotion.
[edit] Other
"Cotton Candy" is the name of an instrumental song hit by jazz musician Al Hirt.
[edit] References
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