Cotton candy is a magical treat. It’s sugar that’s been transformed into something light and fluffy and fun.  Cotton candy has been around since the 18^th century, but it was expensive then, so not many people knew about it.  Like many popular food stuffs today, cotton candy got its first real introduction to a wide audience at a World’s Fair, in this case the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. 

We first discovered maple cotton candy a little over a year ago, when I bought some from Roxbury Mountain Maple’s booth at the market that goes on in Union Square (in NYC).  I was intrigued, so I brought some home and we tried it.  Guys…it’s really good.  It’s sweet, obviously, but not too sweet.  Light, airy, and maple-y.  What’s even better about this cotton candy is that it doesn’t have any artificial colors or flavorings.  It’s just sugar, maple sugar, and air. 

So airy.

I feel like cotton candy is a bit of an underrated snack.  Most people only eat it on rare occasion at carnivals or the like.  But, thanks to modern technology you can eat cotton candy pretty much whenever you want, since you can buy it in bags in stores now.  Still, a lot of people are probably scared of cotton candy since it is sugar.  But it’s not even really that much sugar.  It’s actually mostly air. 

Check this out:

The whole container is only a little over 100 calories.  So first off, you’re not going to eat the whole container in one sitting.  You’ll probably only eat 25-50 calories worth at a time.  Second, even if you did eat the whole container in one sitting, you could easily burn it off with a vigorous 30-45 minute walk, or a game of tennis or something.  So, please, feel free to indulge in some maple cotton candy.  Your taste buds will thank you.

Would I recommend maple cotton candy?  Yes!

If you can make it to Union Square on market days you can buy Roxbury Mountain Maple’s cotton candy directly from there.  If not, you can also order it off their website.