The Shore's Taffy Tradition

There’s nothing quite like opening that first box of salt water taffy of the summer.

Catching a whiff of fruit, mint, or chocolate as soon as you open the box is as iconic as funnel cake, sausage and peppers, and boardwalk french fries. The sweet memories of choosing a favorite flavor from the wall of taffy displays and sharing an assorted box with friends and family stay with you for almost as long as the chewy candy sticks to your teeth.

For many families who make an annual tradition of going down the Shore, getting a box of salt water taffy is a ritual in itself. “A lot of people came here as kids with their grandparents, and now they’re grandparents and come with their grandkids,” says Jason Dugan, fourth-generation owner of Douglass Fudge in Wildwood. “It brings back memories. It reminds you of good times at the beach. The nostalgia of it, I think, is almost as important as the actual piece of candy itself.”

Dugan’s great-uncle, Charles Douglass, opened his seaside candy shop in 1919 after working a small concession in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. During the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, ice cream, chocolate, and all things sweet were big businesses in Philadelphia. But as Wildwood, Atlantic City, and other Shore points along New Jersey’s coast developed into resort towns during the Gilded Age, candy makers like Douglass saw an opportunity. In a tourist destination built to entertain and amuse the masses, what can be more novel than colorful pieces of sticky candy?

The whimsy of salt water taffy has endured for about 140 years. It’s still up for debate who exactly invented it, but the candy makers credited for popularizing salt water taffy — and making it synonymous with the Jersey Shore — are Enoch James and Joseph Fralinger, who both started their operations in Atlantic City in the 1880s. The two started out as competitors, dueling for decades over whose candy reigned supreme on the boardwalk. James’ candy was known for its “cut-to-fit-the-mouth” shape while Fralinger was known for offering Atlantic City’s widest selection of flavors (about 25 at the time). Eventually, the two companies would merge under the leadership of James Candy Company’s current owner Frank Glaser.

Glaser’s family has been in the confectionery industry for generations, long before Glaser’s grandfather moved to Philadelphia from Germany to start up a chocolate business. Similar to Charles Douglass, Glaser’s family wanted in on the seaside candy business, not just to ride the wave of the Shore’s popularity, but to continue working in the summer months. “Before they really had air-conditioning in the buildings, the chocolate companies in Philadelphia basically shut down [for the season],” explains Glaser. “It was too warm for them to make chocolate, so my father and his brothers were looking for something else to do. And taffy was a product that would stand up in the heat.” In 1947, a year before Glaser was born, his father bought James Candy Company.

How salt water taffy got its name is another mystery. The apocryphal story goes that during the late 1800s, a storm surge flooded a boardwalk candy shop in Atlantic City. The next morning, the shop owner discovered to his dismay that his taffy had been soaked in seawater. A little girl who wanted to buy some of the taffy joked that it was now “salt water taffy” and the name has stuck.

Despite the name, there is no ocean water in the candy. Salt water taffy begins with cooking molasses, butter, sugar, and water in a large, copper kettle until it turns into a soft, sticky, and pliable mixture. Once it’s set, candy makers knead the taffy, a process that helps it cool and remove bubbles. Candy makers will then flip and fold the hulking slabs, which can weigh upward of 50 pounds.

Taffy pulling helps to distribute the flavor and coloring. Historically, taffy was pulled by hand using a hook on the wall. These days, machines do the work, rhythmically pulling, folding, and stretching the taffy into a Möbius strip of candy. The taffy is then taken to the batch roller where it is slowly rolled into a long rope before being cut and wrapped. The entire process is a spectacle, which is why Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy & Fudge, open since 1898, invites people to stop and watch the show. Swing by their shop on the boardwalk in Ocean City and chances are you’ll catch a glimpse of the candy makers in action — you may even try a fresh piece of salt water taffy right off the line. According to Meryl Vangelov, co-owner of Shriver’s, nothing beats eating a piece of fresh salt water taffy. “It’s warm, soft, and just delicious,” she says.

Vangelov is the third generation in the family business and has been immersed in the art of making salt water taffy since she was a child. Her grandfather, who bought Shriver’s with his brothers in 1959, would bring her to the factory first to show her how the taffy was made and, when she got older, to work. “It was a huge deal when we were young, going into the back and watching the machines,” says Vangelov. “It was a treat.”

Unless you’re a die-hard salt water taffy fan, chances are you aren’t going every day like Vangelov as a kid (as co-owner of the company, she still does). But if you make a summer stop once or twice for a few of your favorite flavors, or to bring home an assorted box to leisurely enjoy throughout the year, you’re not alone. According to Dugan, Glaser, and Vangelov, their companies are pumping out thousands of pounds of salt water taffy a year — and people visiting the Shore are eating it up.

Where to try salt water taffy

Douglass Candy, Wildwood

All of Douglass Candy’s treats are made fresh daily in their own kitchens. “The folks who make our taffy have been with us for about 50 years each,” says Dugan. “They are masters of their craft and make high-quality candy.” As the oldest family-owned business in Wildwood, Douglass Candy has become a trusted boardwalk shop that families have been visiting for generations. Dugan says plain chocolate and vanilla are popular classics, but the peanut butter-filled salt water taffy is a bit of a sleeper hit.

📍3300 Boardwalk, Wildwood, 📞 609-522-3875, 🌐 douglasscandies.com, 📷 @douglasscandies, 🕑 Daily, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Shriver’s, Ocean City

As the oldest business on the Ocean City boardwalk, Shriver’s played an integral role in the town’s development as a beach destination. For over 120 years, Shriver’s has turned buying fudge, salt water taffy, and candy into a memorable experience. Today, the shop on the corner of 9th and Boardwalk is like a time capsule forcandy shops of the Gilded Age. There are about 60 taffy flavors to choose from, a lot more than the original 17 . “Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry are our most popular,” says Vangelov. The trio of flavors are so beloved, they even make a combination combining all three called the Neapolitan.

📍852 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 📞 800-441-1404, 🌐 shrivers.com, 📷 @shrivers_salt_water_taffy, 🕑 Daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

James Candy Company, Atlantic City

James and Fralinger started out as competitors but now both taffy companies sit side by side at James Candy Company in Atlantic City. Both brands are still in production, with candy makers staying true to the original recipes. Glaser says he eats about four or five pieces a day. “Call it quality control,” he says,his flavor of choice currently wintergreen. Guests who think ofJames’ and Fralinger’s taffy as unofficial souvenirs of Atlantic City indulge in chocolate, vanilla, banana, and strawberry — getting a classic assortment box is a crowd-pleaser.

📍1519 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, 📞 800-441-1404, 🌐 jamescandy.com, 📷 @jamescandyco, 🕑 Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.