Taffy (candy)

Taffy

Place of origin	New Jersey, United States
Main ingredients	Sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavorings, food coloring
Cookbook: Taffy  Media: Taffy

Taffy, or chews, are a type of candy similar to toffee. Taffy is often sold alongside bubblegum and hard candy. Taffy is made by stretching or pulling a sticky mass of boiled sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavorings, and coloring until it becomes aerated (meaning that tiny air bubbles are produced, resulting in a light, fluffy and chewy candy^[1]). When this process is complete, the taffy is rolled, cut into small pastel-coloured pieces and wrapped in wax paper to keep it soft. It usually has a fruity flavor, but other flavors are common as well, including molasses and the classic unflavored taffy.

Salt water taffy was a noted invention of New Jersey, United States, and became a common souvenir of many coastal resort towns. Modern commercial taffy is made primarily from corn syrup, glycerin and butter. The pulling process, which makes the candy lighter and chewier, consists of stretching out the mixture, folding it over and stretching it out again. Although it is called "salt water" taffy, it does not include any salt water in its manufacture at all. In the nearby Philadelphia regional dialect, the term "taffy", without "salt water" before it, used to refer to a lollipop or sucker.^[2]

In the United Kingdom taffy candies are called chews. They are shaped pieces of candy very similar to soft toffee but without the caramel flavouring, and can be found in the form of popular brands such as Chewits or Starburst.

Caramel candies are sometimes referred to as taffy (taffy apples), but are very different from common salt water taffy.

References

Taffy in comparison with a United States quarter

1. "Science of Candy: Why Do You Pull Taffy? - Exploratorium". Exploratorium: the museum of science, art and human perception. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
2. "Yo! And Other Lexicographical Peculiarities". Philadelphia Citypaper.