National Marshmallow Day in Australia Date in the current year: May 18, 2024

Marshmallow is a type of confectionery that consists of sugar and/or corn syrup, water and gelatin. The ingredients are whipped together to a solid but soft consistency and molded into shapes. The resulting confection is made up of 50% air, which is responsible for its unique texture. There are many marshmallow variations containing different food flavorings and colorings.

The name of the confectionery comes from the name of the plant Althaea officinalis, commonly known as marsh-mallow. The candy was named after the plant because the original recipe called for marsh-mallow roots. It originated in the 19th century France. Owners of small candy stores whipped dried marsh-mallow roots with egg whites, sugar, and water to create fluffy candies called Pâte de Guimauve (“marsh-mallow paste”).

These candies began to transform into the marshmallow we know today in the late 19th century thanks to the invention of the starch mogul machine that allowed to mold candies from gels or syrups. At the same time, the mallow root was replaced with gelatin to make the texture more stable, but the name had already stuck. Thanks to mass production, marshmallows were introduced to other countries outside France, including the United States.

In the 1950s, Illinois-based confectioner Alex Doumak invented and patented the extrusion process of manufacturing marshmallows; it involved running ingredients through a tube to create a long rope, which would be cut into cylindrical pieces after cooling. It made the mass-production of the confectionery much more cost-effective, transforming marshmallows from an expensive confection to a widely popular treat.

Marshmallows can be eaten as is or added to desserts, fruit salads, ice cream, hot chocolate or coffee. The confectionery is also used in baking (as filling or decorations). Roasted marshmallows are a popular camping treat in the UK, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Marshmallows are skewered and toasted over a campfire until brown and caramelized on the outside and gooey on the inside.

In the United States and Canada, toasted marshmallows are used to make s’mores. A s’more is a sandwich-like treat consisting of toasted marshmallows and chocolate placed between two graham crackers. S’mores originated in the early 1920s and immediately became popular with both Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts.

Another popular marshmallow treat is a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, commonly called a fluffernutter. Instead of marshmallow candies, it is made with marshmallow fluff, a confectionery spread similar in flavor to marshmallow. The earliest known fluffernutter recipe was published during World War I, but the term “fluffernutter” was coined in the 1960s by a company producing marshmallow fluff.