Sticky Situation

One thing I miss about work (and it might be the only thing, beside the hearty camaraderie of my happy coworkers as we spent days deep down in the salt mines) is the time-honored ritual in which someone comes back from a week's vacation, slightly sunburned, a little worn out, reeking of Sea & Ski sun lotion, and bearing either some Fisher's caramel popcorn or some salt water taffy. Enough for everyone in the office to share, including that summer intern who had to be reminded to wash his hands before sticking a grubby paw into the goods.  

When the talk turned to salt water taffy, someone would always pass around the old stories about how the gooey treat got its name. It's one of those candies you only see by the seashore, after all, so the ocean water seems naturally to be a part of the recipe.

Truth to tell, they might as well have whomped up the first batch in Keokuk or Kankakee, for all the salt water it contains. Sure, there is salt in there, and water too, but not scooped out of the ocean, no no. Today's taffy is made primarily from corn syrup, glycerin and butter, with flavorings as needed.

When you go to buy your taffy, you get to see the "pulling" process, in which the mixed ingredients are pulled and stretched and aerated. That addition of air makes it lighter and chewier. This process was developed by a candy man from Atlantic City, New Jersey, by the name of Enoch James. He also figured out a vital part of the saltwater taffy appeal: he made it less sticky, so that it was easier to peel off the wax paper from the taffy itself, which comes in little patties or little links the size of your pinky.

Oh! As to the apocryphal stories about where they got the "salt water" taffy name, one has it that some underassistant candy cook was told to get a bucket of water and add it to the ingredients, and out of either ignorance or indolence (that deadly combination) he just went down to the surf and added some ocean aqua.

That account would miss the fact that the factory sink had to be closer than the ocean, unless we're to believe that the young man just wanted to get his feet wet awhile.

And the other tale is just as big a whopper. In that version, the candy guy made his candy but left it in an open tub, and overnight there was a super high tide and the ocean washed into the store and everything got wet but the taffy still tasted as good, if not better, so why not?

If you're going down the ocean, don't forget me, please!