Salt water taffy is a chewy candy made from sugar, corn syrup, butter, and flavorings; it usually contains no seawater. Strongly associated with Atlantic City, New Jersey, the candy's origin is wrapped in folklore - a popular anecdote describes a flooded shop and a quip of "salt water taffy" in the 1880s. Joseph Fralinger is credited with commercializing the candy and marketing it as a seaside keepsake. Multiple origin accounts exist, and the exact details remain part of local legend. Today the candy is sold by both artisanal shops and large manufacturers in many flavors.
What is salt water taffy?
Salt water taffy is a soft, chewy candy made from sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and flavorings. Despite its name, it normally contains no seawater - just a pinch of salt to balance sweetness. Taffy is pulled and aerated during production, which gives it a lighter chew and glossy finish.
A seaside origin story (and a bit of folklore)
The candy is strongly associated with Atlantic City, New Jersey, where it became a popular boardwalk souvenir in the late 19th century. The most familiar origin story says that in the summer of 1883 a storm flooded a candy shop and a frustrated owner handed a girl some wet taffy, calling it "salt water taffy." That quip supposedly stuck and helped brand the treat as an Atlantic City specialty. This anecdote is part of taffy lore and is often repeated, though several versions and competing claims exist.
Confectioner Joseph Fralinger is widely credited with commercializing and popularizing salt water taffy in Atlantic City. Fralinger and other local candy makers packaged the candy in collectible boxes and marketed it as a seaside keepsake, cementing its association with beach vacations and boardwalk culture.
How it spread and why it mattered
By the end of the 19th century taffy had moved beyond local shops into souvenir stands and fairs. It became a nostalgic staple of summer outings, sold in individual pieces or decorative tins. The tactile ritual of a "taffy pull" - a social event where people stretched taffy by hand - also helped cement the candy's place in American popular culture.
Modern taffy
Today salt water taffy is sold by small confectioners and large candy manufacturers. It comes in dozens of flavors, from vanilla and banana to more contemporary varieties like salted caramel and exotic fruit blends. Artisanal shops along boardwalks still make taffy by hand, while factories produce the candy at scale for year-round retail.
What to remember
- The name is largely folkloric: salt water taffy usually contains no seawater.
- Atlantic City played a central role in the candy's popular image.
- The precise origin story is part of local legend, with multiple versions and some disputed details. 1
- Verify the 1883 flood anecdote and whether the specific year and the name David Bradley are historically documented as the origin of the phrase.
- Confirm the timeline that places salt water taffy's early popularity at Midwest county fairs in the late 1880s, if cited.
- Confirm specific details of Joseph Fralinger's role (dates and actions) in commercializing and marketing salt water taffy in Atlantic City.