cotton candy

Cotton candy is a confection made from spun sugar. It was invented in Nashville in 1897 by dentist William J. Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton. They created a machine that heated sugar and spun it into fine threads using centrifugal force, resulting in an airy, cotton-like treat.1

The machine was first publicly displayed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, where it was sold as "fairy floss" and was a significant success. The name "cotton candy" was later coined in the 1920s by another dentist, Josef Lascaux. While often called cotton candy, it is still known as "fairy floss" or "candy floss" in some regions. The term "cotton candy" can also refer to something attractive but insubstantial.12