 Salt water taffy with aU.S. quarter for scale | |
| Alternative names | Salt water taffy |
|---|---|
| Type | Candy |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Main ingredients | sugar,corn starch,corn syrup,glycerine,water,butter,salt,flavoring,food coloring |
Taffy is a type ofcandy invented in theUnited States, made by stretching or pulling a sticky mass of a soft candy base, made ofboiledsugar,butter,vegetable oil,flavorings, andcolorings, until it becomesaerated (tiny air bubbles produced), resulting in a light, fluffy and chewy candy.[1] When this process is complete, the taffy is rolled, cut into small pieces and wrapped inwax paper to keep it soft. It is usuallypastel-colored and fruit-flavored, but other flavors are common as well, includingmolasses and the "classic" (unflavored) taffy.
The wordtaffy, referring to the boiled candy, is first known to have appeared in the United States circa 1817. The word is also used metaphorically to refer to insincere flattery.[2]
TheOxford English Dictionary dates the first written record of the wordtoffee in the formstuffy, toughy to 1825 and identifies it as a southern British dialectal variant oftaffy (first recorded use in 1817), whose modern spelling is first recorded from 1843.[3][4][5]
A taffy pull is a social event around the pulling of taffy that was popular in the 1840s through at least 1870s.[6] The host would prepare the taffy recipe by meltingmolasses andsorghum orsugar with a mixture of water. Participants would coat their hands withbutter and working with a partner pull the hot mixture apart, and then fold it back together and repeat.[7] This process would add air to the candy, resulting in a soft chewable texture.
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Salt water taffy is a variety of soft taffy originally produced and marketed in theAtlantic City,New Jersey area of theJersey Shore starting in the 1880s.[8] Its late 19th century appellation most likely originated in New Jersey.[8] Salt water taffy is still sold widely on the boardwalks in Atlantic City (including shops in existence since the 19th century),[9] nearbyOcean City, elsewhere at the Jersey Shore, and other beaches throughout the US likeCape Cod. It is also popular inAtlantic Canada andSalt Lake City,Utah.
Modern commercial taffy is made primarily fromcorn syrup,glycerin and butter. The pulling process, which makes the candy lighter and chewier, consists of stretching out the mixture, folding it over, and stretching it again. Although it is called "salt water" taffy, it does not include anyseawater, though it does contain both salt and water.[10]
The original invention of the candy has several different stories circulating, likely all apocryphal. One relates to an assistant who substituted fresh water with seawater—either through laziness or accident.[11] Another cites a storm which caused seawater to wash over the candy, which was consequently (and successfully) marketed with the appropriate name.[12]
Joseph Fralinger popularized the candy by boxing it and selling it in Atlantic City. Fralinger's first major competition came from candy maker Enoch James, who refined the recipe, making it less sticky and easier to unwrap. James also cut the candy into bite-sized pieces, and is credited with mechanizing the "pulling" process. The candy was also soldmail order; in 1926sheet music was commissioned by James with the title "Send Home Some Taffy Today!"[13] The Glaser family acquired James' stores in 1947, and Fralinger's stores in 1992. Stores under each brand still operate on the Atlantic City boardwalk.[14][12]
On August 21, 1923, John Edmiston obtained atrademark for the name "salt water taffy" (number 172,016), then demanded royalties from companies using his newly acquired name. He was sued over this demand, and in 1925, the trademark was invalidated as being in common use.
Caramel candies are sometimes referred to as taffy (taffy apples), but the caramel is very different from common salt water taffy, though they share a similartensile quality.
Salt water taffy is composed ofsugar,cornstarch,corn syrup,glycerine,water,butter,salt, natural or artificial flavor, and food color. Some examples of flavoring include vanilla, lemon, maple, banana, red licorice, watermelon, raspberry, or mint extracts.[10]
In theUnited Kingdom, taffy pieces are known as "chewy sweets", "chews" or "fruit chews"[15]—the term "taffy" is not used.[15]
InCanada, a form of molasses taffy candy, known as "halloween kisses", is produced in time forHalloween.[16] The candy was first offered by theKerr's Canadian candy company in the 1940s. At the time, a molasses candy was made by Stewart and Young in Glasgow.[16]
In most of the UK and Ireland, it's never taffy — only chews or fruit chews.
The dictionary definition oftaffy at Wiktionary