Salt water taffy is a soft taffy originally produced and marketed in the Atlantic City, New Jersey, area beginning in the late 19th century. Despite the name, it does not contain sea water.

Origins

Etymology

The legend of how salt water taffy got its name is disputed. The most popular story, although unconfirmed, concerns a candy-store owner, David Bradley, whose shop was flooded during a major storm in 1883. His entire stock of taffy was soaked with salty Atlantic Ocean water. When a young girl came into his shop and asked if he had any taffy for sale, he is said to have offered some "salt water taffy." At the time it was a joke, because all his taffy had been soaked with salt water, but the girl was delighted, she bought the candy and proudly walked down to the beach to show her friends. Bradley's mother was in the back and heard the exchange. She loved the name and so Salt Water Taffy was born.

According to Joseph Fralinger,

The taffy

Whatever the origins, Joseph Fralinger popularized the candy by boxing it and selling it as an Atlantic City souvenir. Fralinger's first major competition came from candy maker Enoch James, who refined the recipe, making it less sticky and easier to unwrap. James also cut the candy into bite-sized pieces, and is credited with mechanizing the "pulling" process. Both Fralinger's and James' stores still operate on the Atlantic City boardwalk.

On August 21, 1923, John Edmiston obtained a trademark for the name "salt water taffy" (number 172,016), then demanded royalties from companies using his newly acquired name. He was sued over this demand, and in 1925, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that the phrase had been in common use too long to claim royalties.

Salt water taffy is still sold widely on the boardwalks in Atlantic City and nearby island Ocean City, and other touristed beachfront areas throughout the United States and Atlantic Canada.

Process

Taffy was first cooked in copper kettles over open coal fires, cooled on marble slabs, and pulled on a large hook on the wall. The 'Taffy Pull' was a household enjoyment on Saturday nights as well as an Atlantic City enterprise. Pulling taffy is designed to add air to the corn syrup and sugar confection. By draping 10 to 25 pounds of cooled taffy over the hook and then pulling away from the hook, the taffy stretches. When the taffy reaches a 5- or 6-foot length where it might become too heavy for itself and fall off of the hook, the puller loops the taffy back over the hook, folding it onto itself and trapping air between the two lengths of taffy. This process of aeration helps to keep the taffy soft. The pulled taffy was shaped by hand-rolling it on marble or wooden tables into a snake. It was then cut to a 2-inch length with scissors and, finally, wrapped in a pre-cut piece of wax paper with a twist at both ends. All of this was done by hand and usually within the sight of boardwalk strollers. The popular purchase in the 1880s was a 5-cent bag.

Ingredients

Salt water taffy is composed of sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, glycerine, water, butter, salt, flavor, and food color. Flavoring is added (e.g., vanilla, lemon, maple, or mint extracts). Contrary to popular belief, the taffy contains no salt water.

References

Category:Confectionery

Name	Layah Jane
Background	solo_singer
Instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter
Genre	Folk, soul
Label	Grace Note Records
Associated acts	Oliver Johnson
Url	www.layahjane.com

Layah Jane is a soul-folk singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She and her sister were raised by a psychotherapist/singer-songwriter father and a poet mother who teaches writing.

Though she took piano lessons as a child and attended an arts high school, she later resisted further formal training. She plays acoustic guitar and keyboards.

Jane has appeared at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, The Ottawa Folk Festival, Toronto Winterfolk Festival, Toronto City Roots Festival, North by Northeast Music Festival, Blue Skies Music Fest and New Music West. Her voice and songs have also been heard in The Dove Self Esteem Fund's 2006 "True Colors" TV campaign, on Global TV's Blue Murder, and on ESPN's Tilt.

She has collaborated with a collection of Canada's finest musicians: Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn), Mark Mariash (Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Slean), Bryden Baird (Feist), Mark McLean (Serena Ryder, Molly Johnson), Lyle Molzan (Jann Arden), Marc Rogers (K'naan, Philosopher Kings), Brian MacMillan (Kevin Hearn, Barenaked Ladies) and Burke Carroll (Kathleen Edwards) among others.

She was nominated for the 2008 Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Folk Artist, but lost to Angie Nussey

She tours with Oliver Johnson.

Discography

Layah Jane (2001)

Grievance and Gratitude (2005)

Grievance and Gratitude Remixes (2005)

Patience EP (2007)

Brightness & Bravery (2008)

Awards

CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award (2005)

Ontario Council of Folk Festival's Songs from The Heart Best Political Song Award (2005)

Toronto Independent Music Awards (Best Jazz, 2006)

Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Folk, 2007)

Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Female Artist, 2008)

References

Category:Living people Category:Canadian folk singers Category:Musicians from Toronto