Facts about Cotton Candy

Here are some interesting facts surrounding cotton candy!

1. Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.

A dentist by the name of Dr. William Morrison invented the first cotton candy machine with John C. Wharton, a candy maker.

Dr. William Morrison

John C. Wharton

2. Cotton candy has different names all around the world.

• US= cotton candy

• UK & India = candy floss

• Australia & Finland= fairy floss

• Netherlands= suikerspin (sugar spider)

• France: barbe à papa (papa’s beard)

• Greece: old ladies’ hair

3. Cotton candy is made with centrifugal force.

• Cotton candy was first made by melting sugar inside a funnel-shaped dish. The machine would rotate very quickly, using centrifugal force to fling liquid sugar through small holes in the funnel. As the liquid sprays through the holes, it instantly solidifies into long, thin strands that look like cotton.

• Why doesn’t it solidify into sugar crystals? That’s because the liquid sugar was tossed around vigorously and was cooled instantaneously that the molecules did not have time to rearrange as crystals. Thus, cotton candy is made!

4. Cotton candy has its own national day.

December 7 is the world’s National Cotton Candy Day.

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Sources:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/food/the-plate/2016/07/the-sticky-sweet-history-of-cotton-candy/#:~:text=As%20the%20syrup%20sprays%20through,of%20an%20inch)%20in%20diameter.

• https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/cotton-candy.htm#pt4

• https://lewigs.com/width-and-thickness-of-human-hair/#:~:text=The%20diameter%20of%20human%20hair,thickness%20of%2056%E2%80%93181%20%C2%B5m.

• https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/10-sweet-facts-about-cotton-candy1