What Are Cotton Candy Grapes?
It's all in the name.
A few of our test cooks are enthusiastic fans of Cotton Candy grapes and were eager to order some for us to taste. The grapes looked like any other green grapes, but true to their name, these juicy specimens had a bubblegum-y sweetness much like that of cotton candy. A few tasters noted a similarity to the artificial “blue raspberry” flavor found in some candies and drinks. First-time tasters were shocked by the grapes' sweetness and perfumy flavor.
We assumed that these were genetically modified Frankengrapes, but in fact, they were developed by a California company called The Grapery using traditional, all-natural crossbreeding methods. Cotton Candy grapes contain about 12 percent more sugar than most other commercial varieties.
The bottom line: Cotton Candy grapes are an all-natural grape hybrid that is sweeter than many other grape varieties. Their availability in late summer is limited, but they can be found at many major grocery store chains.
