History

SALT WATER TAFFY is more than just a candy, it's a part of American history. While making taffy requires a fair bit of exercise, here are some instructions on how to make taffy if you are up for the challenge...

For the rare few who may not know, TAFFY is a kind of chewy candy. If you want to learn to make taffy, the technique the professionals follow is by pulling and stretching a gooey concoction of boiled sugar, flavorings, butter and coloring, till it turns fluffy. When the taffy is ready, it is rolled and then cut into little pieces. It is then wrapped in wax paper which keeps it soft. The pastel colored pieces of candy are fruit flavored. Unflavored saltwater taffy is also available, as is the classic molasses flavor.

The HISTORY OF SALT WATER TAFFY is interwoven with that of Atlantic City, New Jersey, as it was one of their most well-known products, that began to be produced during the late 19th century. For the frequently posed question, "why is it called salt water taffy", the best known (though disputed) explanation is that a certain candy-store owner's shop was flooded during a major storm in 1883. This resulted in all the taffy in his store soaking up salty water, which the man in question, Mr. David Bradley, offered to his customer in jest as "salt water taffy". However, the name stuck, and many claim this to be the origin of the name.

Eventually, a man named Joseph Fralinger began to package and sell the candy as an Atlantic City souvenir. A little later, another candy maker, Enoch James, began to produce better (he refined the making process), bite sized pieces of the same candy. However, it was John Edmiston, who, in 1923, became the owner of the trademark for the name "salt water taffy". However, a legal battle ended in the declaration that the name had been in common use for a long time, and thus no royalties could be demanded. While plenty of salt water taffy is available on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, here are instructions on how to make salt water taffy, so you can make some of your own.