Marshmallows

Marshmallows
by Jim Cornish
(1) Toasting
marshmallows over
a campfire is a
lasting memory of
childhood. But
while enjoying this
gooey treat, people rarely stop to
think about how marshmallows got
their name or who made them first.
After all, toasting them golden brown or
turning them into flaming torches is much
more fun.
(2) Marshmallows have a long and
interesting history. The ancient Egyptians
first developed the sweet some 4000 years
ago using the mallow plant that grew wild in
the marshes along the Nile River, hence
their name “marsh mallows.” They used the
white, sweet sap from marsh mallow roots to
thicken a mixture of nuts and honey. It
wasn’t a treat for everyone though. It was
considered a food for the gods and severed
only to the pharaohs and members of his
royal family. What the first marshmallows
looked like, no one really knows.
(3) The ingredients and
methods used to make
marshmallows have
changed greatly over the
centuries. In the early to
mid-1800's French candy
store owners whipped egg whites, sugar
and mallow sap into a fluffy meringue. They
placed the mixture in cylindrical molds,
giving the marshmallows their familiar
shape. This rather time-consuming process
produced marshmallows so costly only the
wealthy could afford them.
(4) By the late 1800's a new recipe and a
new method of making marshmallows
emerged. Cornstarch and gelatin replaced
the mallow sap and machines replaced hand
mixing. Once hardened and placed in tins,
the marshmallows sold as penny candy and
became a treat everyone could afford.
(5) In 1954, American Alex Doumakes, the
son of a Greek immigrant candy maker,
developed the marshmallow recipe and
manufacturing process in use today. He

combined corn syrup or sugar, gelatin,
gum arabic and flavoring for his
marshmallow recipe. Instead of making
them by hand, he squeezed the mixture
from long tubes to create long spongy
marshmallow ropes. After a dusting them
with non-stick corn-starch, the ropes
were sliced into the bite-sized chunks
familiar today. The whole process
slashed production time from 24 hours to
just 6o minutes.
(6) You might be surprised to learn that
marshmallows were once used as
medication. The Romans and Greeks, as
well as nineteenth century doctors,
hardened marshmallows to looked like
lozenges and prescribed them to soothe
sore throats, to suppress coughs, to cure
ulcers and to treat toothaches and insect
bites. While marshmallows are no longer
used as medication, the mallow’s roots,
leaves and flowers are used to make a
wide variety of pharmaceuticals and
herbal remedies.
(7) Today, eaten straight from the bag,
used to make cookies or toasted over a
campfire, marshmallows have proven to
be a popular year-round snack.
Marshmallow
Fun Facts
• Americans buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows each
year, about the same weight as 1,286 gray whales.
• The marshmallow capital of the world is in Ligonier,
Noble County, Indiana.
• Each summer more than 50% of all marshmallows sold are
toasted over a fire
• Americans spend nearly $125 million dollars on
marshmallows each year.
• During World War II marshmallows were used as a
substitute for rationed sugar.
• The largest marshmallow treat ever made weighed 1,600
lbs and used 20,000 toasted marshmallows and 7,000
chocolate bars. The record was set on May 23, 2003.
• When the Olympic flame, hand-carried from Greece to
Canada in 1988, was left within easy reach of people along
the parade route, they roasted marshmallows over it.
• In one year, the Kidd & Company’s marshmallow factory
churns out enough marshmallows to circle the globe nearly
twice.
• marshmallows today are almost 100 percent sugar and are
injected with air to make them fluffy.
Sources:
www.candyusa.org/Candy/marshmallows.asp
www.dountoothers.org/marshmellows12-05.html

Reading:
Main Idea
1. The main idea of this passage is:
a. marshmallows are fun to toast and eat
b. the history of marshmallows
c. marshmallows are really soft candy
d. many people like to eat marshmallows
2. Topic Sentence
a. What is the topic sentence for paragraphs two and three
Reading:
Vocabulary
1. What two words in paragraph five mean “cut”
2. What words are used throughout the passage to describe marshmallows
3. Match the following definitions with a word in the paragraph indicated in brackets.
a. (1) seldom
b. (2) very old
c. (3 ) easily recognized
d. (4) able to buy
e. (5) to sprinkle lightly
f. (6) medicine in a candy-like form
g. (7) something used or someone liked by many
Visual Literacy
1. How are today’s marshmallows different from the ones made by the ancient Egyptians
Organize your answer in a T-chart.

Reading Comprehension: Literal
1. How were marshmallows used as medicine
2. What role(s) have the following ingredients played in the making of marshmallows
a. sugar
b. mallow root sap
c. corn starch
3. How did marshmallows get their name
Reading Comprehension: Inferential
1. Why did only the wealthy eat marshmallows in centuries past
Your Opinion
1. Why do you think toasting marshmallows is a favourite memory of childhood
Short and Snappy
1. What percentage of marshmallows made each year are toasted
2. In what year B.C. were Egyptians making their version of marshmallows
3. How much money do Americans spend on marshmallows each year
4. The number of hours saved in producing marshmallows in 1954
5. During which war were marshmallows used as a substitute for sugar