Homemade sugar foam

Who doesn''t know about sugar mousse, that unique fluffy confection that is an indispensable part of various parties, festivals and amusement park rides? If you''re one of them, you don''t have to leave your doorstep to enjoy it - it can be made in the comfort of your own kitchen.

The first sugar foam was made by a dentist

Surprisingly, sugar foam is not a modern invention that has only been around for a few decades. On the contrary - it is believed to have been first made by creative Italian chefs in the 15th century! This interesting confection spread all over the world after the sugar industry developed. At first, its production was a very difficult process, until an American dentist, William Morrison (yes, you heard that right), joined forces with a local confectioner, John Wharton. In 1897, they invented the first electric sugar-foaming machine, which melted sugar into syrup while turning the syrup into a delicious, airy fluff. It didn''t take long for sugar foam to win over the masses around the world - and it had its biggest impact when a machine for its mass production, or automatic manufacturing and packaging, was patented in the 1970s. It is popular all over the world, and differs not only in appearance but also in name between different cultures.

Who doesn''t know the sugar mousse, that unique fluffy confection that is an indispensable part of various parties, festivals and amusement park strolls?

While in America it is called cotton candy, in Australia it is called fairy floss, in Iran it is called pashmak, in Turkey it is called pişmaniye, in India it is called sohan papdi, in China it is called dragon''s beard candy and in Korea it is called kkul-tarae. In some countries, it is served in cubes, and in others not only as a stand-alone dish but also as a side dish with fruit, cakes, ice cream, puddings and other desserts.

Do you know how the sugar mousse is made?

You''re probably not the only one who wondered as a child how they make sugar foam. In a special sugar foaming machine, sugar is first melted into syrup and then a rotating head drives the syrup into very small holes. This continuously cools the syrup and turns it into long, very thin strands that form a kind of fluff. This unique structure is created because the sugar cools so quickly that the sugar particles cannot fully recrystallise, but remain in a semi-liquid state, which is otherwise invisible to the naked eye.

Different colours and flavours

If you are also wondering how sugar foam gets its characteristic pink or blue colour, you may be surprised to learn that it is actually naturally white, just like sugar. The pink or blue colour is due to the edible colours, and when the different colours are mixed together, they also turn purple, yellow and green. In addition, it can also be found in different flavours. The most popular flavours are, of course, ice cream and bubblegum, but increasingly it can also be found in other natural and artificial flavours - from mango, banana, raspberry, vanilla, watermelon, menthol, chocolate and caramel, to green tea and even strawberry lemonade.

Homemade sweet and tart foam in just 3 steps

The good news for all you sugar foam lovers is that you can also make it at home in your kitchen with a sugar foam maker, and if you don''t have one, you can make it in just 3 easy steps.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup corn sugar syrup
• 1 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon flavouring to taste (you can use fruit flavouring, chocolate flavouring, vanilla flavouring or whichever flavour you prefer)
• 2 drops of food colour of your choice
• lollipop sticks

Utensils:

• prawn
• kitchen thermometer
• shallow fireproof container
• baking paper
• whisk

Procedure:

Step 1:

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt until the sugar is completely melted. Then heat the ingredients to 160 °C (use a kitchen thermometer to measure). Pour the hot liquid into a shallow fireproof dish. Add the flavouring and food colouring and mix the ingredients well.

Step 2:

Spread the baking paper on a work surface. Dip the whisk into the bowl and then hold it over the bowl and let a few drops of the mixture fall back into the bowl for a second. Then hold the whisk over the baking paper and move it back and forth until very thin strands of sugar start to form on the paper. Continue this process until the paper looks like a nest. This sugar mousse will not be exactly the same as the one you can buy from the stall, but it will taste just as divine.

Step 3:

Wrap the individual balls of sugar foam around the lollipop sticks, but make sure you do this before
before the foam becomes brittle. You can just serve the sugar mousse and enjoy its divine taste and texture. Enjoy!