Did You Know! Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.

Did You Know! Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.

Cotton candy is a spun sugar confection that resembles cotton. It usually contains small amounts of flavoring or food coloring. The candy is made by heating and liquefying sugar, spinning it centrifugally through minute holes—by which the sugar rapidly cools and re-solidifies into fine strands. 

Alternative names: Candy floss, fairy floss

Main ingredients: Sugar, Food Colouring

Calories

One serving of cotton candy will only cost you 220 calories, but contains an alarming 56 grams of sugar. That's more than twice the daily recommended dosage.

Flavors

In the US, cotton candy is available in a wide variety of flavors, but two flavor-blend colors predominate—blue raspberry and pink vanilla, both originally formulated by the Gold Medal brand (which uses the names "Boo Blue" and "Silly Nilly").

Shelf life

Unopened in a standard plastic bag, cotton candy will last three days to three weeks. In a plastic container with a tight sealed lid, cotton candy will last five to ten weeks. Left out in open air, cotton candy will last about ten to twenty minutes

Nutrition facts

According to the USDA Food Database, cotton candy is 100 percent sugar. A one-ounce serving averages 110 calories and 28 grams sugar

It is not known whether William Morrison had an ulterior motive for inventing the soft confection, but the dentist no doubt helped ensure others in his profession continued drawing in plenty of customers. In 1897, he partnered with candy-maker John C. Wharton to develop the cotton candy machine (which at the time was known as “Fairy Floss”), and it’s been bringing kids cavities ever since.