All About Marshmallows

Marshmallows are basically aerated candies that have been around since 2000 BC. The name is taken from the plant in which they were originally made, the Marsh Mallow plant. These plants grow in marshes, and other damp areas. They are commonly found in north Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. The plant consists of a fleshy stem, leaves, and light colored flowers.

The marshmallow root pulp was boiled, and then left to cool. The Egyptians would add honey to the recipe, and the candies would be reserved for royalty and Gods. Marsh mallow root was also used for medicinal purposes, such as, a poultice for inflamed areas, or for a laxative. Doctors also used the candy to wrap pills in, giving the marshmallow pills to patients in order to disguise the taste of the pill. Until the 19th century only people of wealth had great access to marshmallows.

At first marshmallows were made in little shapes, nowadays, they come in all shapes and sizes. Small ones that you can put in cocoa, semi-liquid ones that are covered in chocolate, and of course, the traditional Easter Bunny shaped marshmallows. The first manufacturing establishment was set up in France, in the year 1850. The process was expensive and very slow, as they would cast and mold each one. Egg whites, corn syrup, water, and the mallow root sap were used in the production of the marshmallows. The mixture was heated, and poured on to corn starch that was placed in a mold. At this point in time production of marshmallows was very small in quantity as well as the manufacturing plants where they were made.

Everything had changed by the 1900's, marshmallows were being made in masses. Production of marshmallows had gone up considerably. The starch mogul system also made the mass production of marshmallows feasible. The machine automatically fills metal trays with starch, and compresses it slightly, increasing the numbers of marshmallows that can be produced, as well as decreasing the time in which to produce this candy. After the starch is compressed the machine then places the molds on to the starch. Any space that was left was filled with creme. In 1955, there were almost 35 companies who manufactured marshmallows in the United States. However, today there are only three companies, they are, Doumak, Inc, Favorite Brands International, and Kidd and Company.