Buzz
Reader Charlotte asks, “Why do they call it salt water taffy?”
Despite its name, salt water taffy doesn’t actually contain any ocean saltwater. In fact, my favorite version, from Shriver’s in Ocean City, New Jersey, has no salt whatsoever and only a tiny bit of water. Some recipes may include a bit of salt and water, but they don’t taste salty or watery. So, what’s the origin of the name?
The true origin is a bit uncertain, but the popular story from the Jersey Shore goes like this: In 1883, a storm swept through Atlantic City. The boardwalk back then was much smaller and lower. The storm caused waves to wash over the boardwalk, flooding many businesses, including a candy shop owned by David Bradley. When a young girl came into the store to buy taffy after the storm, Bradley, surveying his waterlogged shop, joked that the only candy left was 'salt water taffy.' Not realizing the joke, the girl bought some and left. Bradley’s mother overheard the conversation and suggested that the catchy name stick, so Bradley continued calling the candy by that name.
In Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat—which presents a different twist on the story, focusing on Bradley’s employer—food historian Andrew Smith says that the 'salt water' label for taffy was 'simply a marketing strategy—and an incredibly successful one, too. The term caught on with other sellers in Atlantic City, and then spread to candy makers in coastal cities from Florida to Massachusetts. By the 1920s, saltwater taffy had evolved into a booming industry, with over 450 companies producing it.'
