Marshmallows

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

Marshmallows! Whether eaten right out of the packet, or toasted slowly over a fire ‘till it’s golden brown, marshmallows are delicious! Many people don’t think twice about snatching them off the shelf, but did you know that marshmallows have a long history? Let’s get into our trusty time machine and go for a look!
Somewhere in between 3100BC – 2866BC:
“O Great Pharaoh, taste the food of the gods that we have prepared for you.” The Pharaoh smiled with satisfaction. This new invention, called “marshmallows” or something, was delicious. The cooks had informed him of how they discovered it. “The potion makers, trying to make a cure for sore throats, injected the sap of the mallow plant that grows on the side of the Great Nile into a mixture of honey and nuts, then roasted it over a bonfire.”
Back to the present:
I’m sure that the cooks said a lot more, but sadly at that moment our time machine malfunctioned and we are now sending it to the Good Guys to be repaired. However, we got the information we needed. The original marshmallows were indeed made by Egyptians using the sap of a mallow plant, mixed with honey and various nuts, and they were trying to make a cure for sore throats.
Of course, over time, marshmallows evolved and became something very different. Candy makers replaced the mallow plant sap with gelatin, which came in handy for helping the marshmallow keep its shape. Then the candy makers replaced the honey and nuts plus a whole mixture of other traditional ingredients with corn syrup, starch, sugar, gelatin, and water. These create the fluffy texture of the marshmallows we know today (were Egyptian marshmallows rock hard? I don’t know!).
Ah! Our time machine is working again! Here, let’s take a look at the time when marshmallows were first introduced into the largest consumer of marshmallows today, the United States of America.
Early 1900s:
TELEGRAM
Marshmallows just got here! Very popular in California. Candy store crowded. Tried one today, indeed marvellous!
Present Day:
Yes, marshmallows were introduced to the U.S. in the early 1900s. By 1950, their popularity had grown so much they were being used as ingredients in various foods! Today, the U.S. devours more than one-third of the world’s marshmallow intake, which is around the mass of 1300 grey whales! Here is a fun fact about marshmallows: did you know that people who try to taste the difference between Australian made and American made marshmallows say that the ones made in Australia taste better? Wonder what is our secret recipe?!
Oh no! My time machine has overheated! I better go fix it, see you later!

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