How Cotton Candy Grapes Get Their Sweet Flavor, According To Science

Upon first biting into a cotton candy grape, I felt sure it had an artificial flavor or that some "weird science" had hacked Mother Nature in vicarious ways. Its resemblance to the classic pink, fluffy, sticky, outrageously sweet fairground treat of the same name was uncanny — and still feels that way whenever those plump, green beauties find their way into my shopping cart. It's not a subtle taste, rather one that bursts across the palate in a sassy taste bud explosion. It begs, or rather demands, an explanation, which is why I'm pleased to announce there is one. 

In reality, cotton grapes are a natural fruit, with no artificial sweeteners or Frankenstein-style meddling. There is, however, a lot of science behind that unique flavor. Like many fruits and vegetables, careful grape breeding plays a role in developing new varieties to maximize things like quality, quantity, pest resistance, shelf life, firmness, and specific traits. One of those traits is flavor, which is definitely what's going on with cotton candy grapes.

Using the process of hybridization, a horticulturalist from International Fruit Genetics (IFG) in California, David Cain, spent several years and made thousands of attempts at creating the specific flavor. Using existing grape varieties, cross-pollinating them, planting the seeds, and hoping for that elusive candy-like sweetness, Cain and his fellow scientists eventually recreated the carnival-aura magic of cotton candy grapes. They don't look or smell like the colorful spun-sugar circus treat, but they most certainly, almost eerily, share the same taste. 

It's important to note that traditional plant breeding is different from genetic modification; It's a natural process that's been practiced for centuries. But it can still be a very painstaking process requiring precision and unending patience. That's especially true if you're aiming for specific qualities, such as sturdy grapes with no seeds and a specific type of flavor. Seedless grapes don't have the ability to reproduce on their own, which leads to tedious scientific processes. 

In the end, the cotton candy grapes bred by David Cain and his team came from just two existing grape species: a Concord-like grape and a seedless Vitis vineferia grape, just two years after cotton candy grapes became commercially available, per NPR. The process of creating the grapes, which are more widely available now, requires fertilizing the plants, removing the baby embryos inside, growing them in test tubes, and finally planting them in fields. The original success in creating the cotton-candy flavor profile took about 100,000 of those test-tube plants. 

A contributing factor to the sweetness of these grapes is the 12% extra sugar compared to ordinary table grapes, enhanced even more by a lack of counterbalancing tartness. This accentuates the flood of flavor, often described as bearing hints of vanilla and caramel. Fortunately, they still harbor the same nutritional benefits as regular grapes. But you'll probably never see a cotton candy grape wine, due to things like the lack of acidity and the high cost of growing the grapes.