The map above shows some of the funnier names for Candy Floss (aka Cotton Candy if you’re American) across Europe. And might even prove to be useful if your kids are anything like mine.
Here’s a full list by country?
| Country | Native Term | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | lëpirëse pambuku | cotton lollipop |
| Austria | Zuckerwatte | sugar cotton |
| Belgium | suikerspin | sugar spider |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | šećerna vuna | sugar wool |
| Bulgaria | захарен памук (zakharen pamuk) | sugar cotton |
| Croatia | šećerna vuna | sugar wool |
| Czech Republic | cukrová vata | sugar cotton |
| Denmark | candyfloss | candy floss |
| Estonia | suhkruvatt | sugar cotton |
| Finland | hattara | cotton candy |
| France | barbe à papa | daddy's beard |
| Germany | Zuckerwatte | sugar cotton |
| Greece | μαλλί της γριάς (mallí tis griás) | granny's hair / old woman's hair |
| Hungary | vattacukor | cotton sugar |
| Iceland | kandífloss | candy floss |
| Ireland | candy floss | candy floss |
| Italy | zucchero filato | spun sugar |
| Latvia | cukurvate | sugar cotton |
| Lithuania | cukraus vata | sugar cotton |
| Luxembourg | Zockerwatt | sugar cotton |
| Malta | ħelu tal-qoton | cotton sweet |
| Netherlands | suikerspin | spider sugar |
| Norway | sukkerspinn | sugar spin |
| Poland | wata cukrowa | sugar wool |
| Portugal | algodão doce | sweet cotton |
| Romania | vată de zahăr | sugar wool |
| Russia | сахарная вата (sakharnaya vata) | sugar wool |
| Serbia | шећерна вуна (šećerna vuna) | sugar wool |
| Slovakia | cukrová vata | sugar cotton |
| Slovenia | sladkorna vata | sugar cotton |
| Spain | algodón de azúcar | sugar cotton |
| Sweden | sockervadd | sugar cotton |
| Switzerland | Zuckerwatte | sugar cotton |
| Ukraine | цукрова вата (tsukrova vata) | sugar wool |
| United Kingdom | candy floss | candy floss |
As a Dad with a beard my favourite has always been the French “barbe à papa”.
Which one is your favourite?
Susanna Viljanen says
Finnish “hattara” translates as “cloud candy”. A ‘hattara’ is a small shreddy cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.
Giorgi says
In Georgian ბამბის ნაყინი Bambis Nakini Cotton Icecream 🙂
Victor says
In Maltese we don’t have a word for cotton candy, what you stated “ħelu tal-qoton” is a type of marihuana “Cotton Candy Kush”!
Nils Weinander says
Spunnet socker is very formal swedish, it is more commonly called “sockervadd”, which in direct translation to english would be sugar cotton.
Ola says
Polish wata cukrowa means cotton candy, not ‘cotton wool’.
Blaž Repe says
In Slovenia it is sugar foam (sladkorna pena).