Marshmallows

Marshmallow

Traditional Marshmallows
Alternative names	Marshies, Mallows, White soft candy
Type	Confectionery
Main ingredients	Sugar, Gelatin, Water,and Air
Variations	Food coloring

A marshmallow is a sugar-based confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, water and gelatin which is whipped to a spongy consistency, molded into small cylindrical pieces, and coated with corn starch. Some marshmallow recipes call for eggs. This confection is the modern version of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant.

The word marshmallow stems from the mallow plant (Althaea officinalis) that is a genus of an herb native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The word “marsh” is used, because the mallow plant grows in marshes, and other damp areas. The plant itself has a fleshy stem, leaves, and a flower that has five white petals.There is no exact date as to when marshmallows were discovered, but their history goes back as early as 2000 BC. Ancient Egyptians were said to be the first to enjoy this gooey treat, and it was considered a privilege to be able to partake in its consumption. It was strictly reserved for gods and royalty, who took the root of the plant and used it as a medicinal to sooth coughs and sore throats, and heal wounds. The first marshmallows were prepared by boiling pieces of root pulp with sugar until it thickened. Once thickened, the mixture was strained, cooled, & then utilized for its intended use.

Whether it was being used for candy or medicinal purposes, the manufacturing process was limited to a small scale. In the early to mid-1800’s, the marshmallow had made its way to France where confectioners married the plant's medicinal purposes with indulgent ingredients utilized by the Egyptians. Owners of small candy stores would whip the sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mold. [2] This candy was called Pâté de Guimauve. It was a spongy-soft dessert made from whipping dried marshmallow roots with sugar, water, and egg whites. It was sold in bar form as a lozenge. The only issue now was that the drying and preparing of the marshmallow took 1–2 days before the final product could be produced. Thus, these small stores could never keep up with the demand. In the late 1800s, candy makers started looking for a new process, and discovered the starch mogul system. The way this system worked was that there were trays of modified corn starch, and each tray had a mold firmly pushed down in it to create cavities within the starch. The cavities were then filled with the whipped marshmallow sap mixture, and allowed to cool or harden. At the same time, candy makers had begun to replace the mallow root with gelatin which created a stable form of marshmallow. (Gelatin's purpose, and why it gives marshmallows a stable form will be explained in further detail later.)

By the early 1900s, thanks to the starch mogul system, marshmallows were introduced to the United States and available for mass consumption. They were sold in tins as penny candy, and began to be used in a variety of food recipes like banana fluff, lime mallow sponge, and tutti frutti. In 1948, Alex Doumak revolutionized the process for manufacturing marshmallows. He created and patented the extrusion process which involved taking the marshmallow ingredients, and running them through tubes. The tubes created a long rope of marshmallow mixture, and were then set out to cool. The ingredients are then cut into equal pieces, and packaged.