Taffy (candy)

Did You Know?

• The word 'taffy' is also used metaphorically to refer to insincere flattery.
• A taffy pull was a social event popular from the 1840s through at least the 1870s, where participants pulled the hot candy mixture with buttered hands.
• In Canada, a form of molasses taffy candy known as 'halloween kisses' has been produced since the 1940s by Kerr's Canadian candy company.

United States

Salt water taffy is a soft candy that first appeared in the Atlantic City area of the Jersey Shore during the 1880s. The name likely came from New Jersey in the late 1800s. Today, it is still a common treat on the boardwalks of Atlantic City, Ocean City, and other parts of the Jersey Shore, as well as beaches like Cape Cod. It is also popular in Atlantic Canada and Salt Lake City, Utah. The candy is made from corn syrup, glycerin, and butter. To make it light and chewy, the mixture is pulled—stretched out, folded over, and stretched again. Despite its name, salt water taffy contains no seawater, though it does include both salt and water.

Several stories claim to explain how the candy got its name, but they are probably made up. One tale says an assistant used seawater instead of fresh water, either out of laziness or by mistake. Another story says a storm splashed seawater onto the candy, which was then sold under the catchy name. Joseph Fralinger helped popularize salt water taffy by boxing it and selling it in Atlantic City. His first big rival was Enoch James, who improved the recipe to make the candy less sticky and easier to unwrap. James also cut the taffy into bite-sized pieces and is credited with inventing a machine to do the pulling. The candy was sold by mail order, and in 1926, James paid for sheet music called "Send Home Some Taffy Today!" The Glaser family bought James' stores in 1947 and Fralinger's stores in 1992. Both brands still have shops on the Atlantic City boardwalk.

On August 21, 1923, John Edmiston got a trademark for the name "salt water taffy" (number 172,016) and tried to collect royalties from other companies using it. He was taken to court, and in 1925, the trademark was canceled because the name was already in common use. Caramel candies are sometimes called taffy, as in taffy apples, but caramel is quite different from salt water taffy, even though both have a similar stretchy quality. Salt water taffy is made from sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, glycerine, water, butter, salt, natural or artificial flavor, and food color. Common flavors include vanilla, lemon, maple, banana, red licorice, watermelon, raspberry, and mint.