Who introduced cotton candy to the world? Dentists. The first was Dr. William Morrison of Nashville. In 1897 he and candy maker John C. Wharton invented a device that melted sugar and blew it through a fine screen to create “Fairy Floss.” He introduced it at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, and sold 68,000 boxes for 25¢ each ($6.75 in today’s money). Another dentist, Dr. Josef Lascaux of New Orleans, improved the design in 1921 and trademarked the name “Cotton Candy.”
Other versions of candy floss: Iran has pashmak (Persian for “wool-like”) with sesame added to the sugar before melting; the Himalayan nation of Bhutan has ngathrek golop lhakpa—spun sugar with butter tea and chili pepper; China has “dragon’s beard candy,” with peanuts and coconut (and a texture like horsehair); and Turkey has Pi˛smaniye—spun sugar blended with buttered flour.