Taffy has been around for centuries in various iterations. The taffy we love today was first pulled by enslaved workers, using molasses, the remains of sugar cane production. As molasses was bitter, they likely added sweeteners and even spices to improve the flavor. By the late 1800s, taffy was made at home or enjoyed at “pull parties” of the well-to-do. There guests – often children – dressed in their best whites and pulled the taffy, sometimes across the room! Other versions of taffy sprung up over the years – inexpensive and enjoyed by grown-ups and kids like. You know the names! Now and Laters. Taffy Chews. And the most popular of all: salt water taffy, first sold in Atlantic City in the 1880s. But the makers of salt water taffy had a little secret. See what Susan said in her award-winning book “Sweet as Sin.”
It's no surprise that originated by the seashore... why else call it “salt water taffy?” But here’s the secret! Salt water taffy never actually contained salt. Hee’s what happened: Boardwalks were built a lot closer to the ocean than they are today and the shops would frequently flooded. The story goes that a little girl poked her head in a candy shop after a flood and asked for taffy. The shopkeeper replied they only had "saltwater taffy" and the name stuck!
Have questions about taffy? We have answers.
So, what distinguishes “taffy” from saltwater taffy?
