marshmallow

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Background

Marshmallows are one of the earliest confections known to humankind. Today's marshmallows come in many forms, from solid (soft pillows dropped in cocoa or roasted on a stick) to semi-liquid (covered in chocolate or formed into chicks for Easter) to the creme-like (used as a base in other candies or as an ice cream topping). In essence, all marshmallows are aerated candies.

History

Originally, however, marshmallows were made from the root sap of the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) plant. It is a genus of herb that is native to parts of Europe, north Africa, and Asia. Marsh mallows grow in marshes and other damp areas. The plant has a fleshy stem, leaves, and pale, five-petaled flowers. The first marshmallows were made by boiling pieces of the marsh mallow root pulp with sugar until it thickened. After it had thickened, the mixture was strained and cooled. As far back as 2000 B.C., Egyptians combined the marsh mallow root with honey. The candy was reserved for gods and royalty.

The marsh mallow root also has medicinal qualities. Marsh mallow roots and leaves can work as a laxative. It also was used by early Arab doctors as a poultice to retard inflammations. Marsh mallow roots were also used in treating chest pains, to soothe coughs and sore throats, and as an ointment. Whether used as a candy or for medicinal purposes, the manufacturing process of marsh mallows was limited to a small, almost individual, scale. Access to marsh mallow confections was limited to the wealthy until the mid-nineteenth century. Common people only tasted marsh mallows when they took pills; doctors sometimes hid the medicine inside the candy to cover the pill's undesirable taste.

Modern marshmallow confections were first made in France around 1850. This first method of manufacture was expensive and slow because it involved the casting and molding of each marshmallow. French candy makers used the mallow root sap as a binding agent for the egg whites, corn syrup, and water. The fluffy mixture was heated and poured onto the corn starch in small molds, forming the marshmallows. At this time, marshmallows were still not mass manufactured. Instead, they were made by confectioners in small stores or candy companies.

By 1900, marshmallows were available for mass consumption, and they were sold in tins as penny candy. Mass production of marshmallows became possible with the invention of the starch mogul system of manufacture in the late nineteenth century. In the starch mogul system, a machine automatically fills trays with starch about 2 in (5.08 cm) thick, which is then evened off and slightly compressed. Then a printing board, made of plaster, wood, or metal trays shaped to mold the marshmallow of the final product is pressed into the starch and withdrawn. Then the space created is filled with hot creme. The first moguls were wood, but all were steel by 1911. Gelatin and other whipping agents replaced the mallow root in the ingredient list.

In 1955, there were nearly 35 manufacturers of marshmallows in the United States. About this time, Alex Doumak, of Doumak, Inc., patented a new manufacturing method called the extrusion process. This invention changed the history of marshmallow production and is still used today. It now only takes 60 minutes to produce a marshmallow. Today, there are only three manufacturers of marshmallows in the United States, Favorite Brands International (Kraft marshmallows), Doumak, Inc., and Kidd & Company.

Raw Materials

Marshmallows are made from only a few ingredients, which fall into two main categories: sweeteners and emulsifying agents. Sweeteners include corn syrup, sugar, and dextrose. Proportionally, there is more corn syrup than sugar because it increases solubility (the ability to dissolve) and retards crystallization. Corn starch, modified food starch, water, gum, gelatin, and/or whipped egg whites are used in various combinations. The resulting combination gives the marshmallows their texture. They act as emulsifying agents by maintaining fat distribution and providing the aeration that makes marshmallows puffy. Gum, obtained from plants, also can act as an emulsifier in marshmallows, but it is also important as a gelling agent.

Most marshmallows also contain natural and/or artificial flavoring. If they are colored marshmallows, the color usually. comes from an artificial coloring.

The Manufacturing
Process

Cooking

• A solution is formed by dissolving sugar and corn syrup in water and boiling it. Egg whites and/or gelatin is mixed with the sugar solution. Then the ingredients are heated in a cook kettle to about 240°F (115°C). The resulting mixture is passed through a strainer to remove extraneous matter.
• In the pump, the mixture is then beaten into a foam to two or three times its original volume. At this stage, flavoring can be added.

Forming

• 3 The heated mixture is transferred to a heat exchanger. Air is pumped into the mixture. The mixture cools in a tempering kettle, passes through another filter, and continues on to the "hill." Marshmallows are extruded through a machine or deposited onto bands.

  The extrusion process involves the foam being squeezed through a die to produce marshmallow's familiar pillow shape. Usually, they get a coating of corn starch to counter stickiness and help maintain their form after they have been extruded. Sometimes the pillows are formed into a rope of pillows. If so, they are cut and dried on a rubber conveyor belt.

Cooling

• After the pillows are formed, they are sent through a cooling drum, where excess starch is removed. They also are cooled enough to be packaged.

Packaging

• After the pillows have cooled, they are weighed and packaged. Before being put in cases, some manufacturers pass their product through a metal detector. The case is code dated and shipped to retail stores.

Quality Control

Throughout the manufacturing process, marshmallows are checked for extraneous matter. The mixture passes through strainers, screens, and metal detectors. Visual inspections are also used to ensure quality. Many marshmallow manufacturers have standards for many aspects of a marshmallow, including its size and texture. An ideal marshmallow should be light. This quality is affected by how much air is beat into the marshmallow. The more air that is worked into the mixture, the lighter the resulting marshmallow.

An ideal marshmallow is created in a manufacturing environment where the size of the bubbles in the foam that forms the marshmallow is controlled. These small bubbles should be evenly distributed throughout a stable foam. If several factors are controlled, including every factor of the beating process, marshmallows will be formed correctly. A substandard marshmallow has large bubbles. These bubbles are conducive to syrupy layers and voids.

Where to Learn More

Periodicals

Groves, Reg. "Process Control of Marshmallows." Candy Industry, July 1991, p.20.

Groves, Reg. "Technology and techniques in marshmallow production." Candy Industry, September 1995, pp. 46-53.

Other

Marshmallow fluff site. 1996. http://www.marshamallowfluff.com (July 9, 1997).

[Article by: Annette Petrusso]

Soft sweetmeat made from an aerated mixture of gelatine or egg albumin with sugar or starch syrup. Nougat is harder, containing less water, and usually incorporating dried fruit and nuts. Originally using the root of the marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis), which provides a mucilaginous substance as well as starch and sugar.

[MAHRSH-mehl-oh] Once created from the sweetened extract of the roots of the marshmallow plant, this sweet is now commercially made from corn syrup, gelatin, gum arabic, sugar and flavorings. Light, fluffy marshmallows come packaged in regular size (about 11⁄2 inches in diameter) and miniature (1⁄2 inch in diameter). They may be white or pastel colors. Marshmallows are used variously to top hot chocolate and dishes such as sweet potatoes.

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For other uses, see Marshmallow (disambiguation).

Marshmallows

The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavorings, and sometimes coloring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for eggs. This confection is the modern version of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant.^[1]

Contents 1 Production history 2 Brands 3 Roasted marshmallows 4 Dietary preferences 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Production history

The marshmallow probably first came into being as a medicinal substance, since the mucilaginous extracts comes from the root of the marshmallow plant, Althaea officinalis, which were used as a remedy for sore throats. Concoctions of other parts of the marshmallow plant had medical uses as well.^[2] The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat.^[1] The later French version of the recipe, called pâte de guimauve (or "guimauve" for short), included an egg white meringue and was often flavored with rose water. Pâte de guimauve more closely resembles contemporary commercially available marshmallows, which no longer contain any marshmallow plant.

The use of marshmallow to make a sweet dates back to ancient Egypt, where the recipe called for extracting sap from the plant and mixing it with nuts and honey. Another pre-modern recipe uses the pith of the marshmallow plant, rather than the sap. The stem was peeled back to reveal the soft and spongy pith, which was boiled in sugar syrup and dried to produce a soft, chewy confection.^[2] Confectioners in early 19th century France made the innovation of whipping up the marshmallow sap and sweetening it, to make a confection similar to modern marshmallow. The confection was made locally, however, by the owners of small sweet shops. They would extract the sap from the mallow plant's root, and whip it themselves. The candy was very popular, but its manufacture was labour-intensive. In the late 19th century, French manufacturers devised a way to get around this by using egg whites or gelatin, combined with modified corn starch, to create the chewy base. This avoided the labour-intensive extraction process, but it did require industrial methods to combine the gelatin and corn starch in the right way.^[2][3] Also related are the German confectionery called Schaumkuss.

Another milestone in the development of the modern marshmallow was the extrusion process by the American Alex Doumak in 1948. This invention allowed marshmallows to be manufactured in a fully automated way. The method produced the cylindrical shape that are now associated with marshmallows. The process involves running the ingredients through tubes and then extruding the finished product as a soft cylinder, which is then cut into sections and rolled in a mixture of finely powdered cornstarch and confectioner's sugar. Doumak founded the Doumak company in 1961 on the strength of his patent on this process.^[3]

Marshmallows, like most sweets, are sweetened with sucrose. They are currently prepared by aeration of mixtures of sucrose and proteins to a final density of about 0.5 g/mL. The viscosity of the mixture, owing to the proteins, gelatin or egg albumin, prevents collapse of the air-filled cells.^[4]

Brands

Most of the current brands of commercially available marshmallows in the United States are made and copacked by Kraft Foods and Doumak, Inc, under such names as Jet-Puffed, Campfire, Kidd and numerous "private label" store brands.^{[citation needed]} Marshmallows are used in S'mores, Mallomars, MoonPies and other chocolate-coated treats, Peeps, Whippets and other sweets, Rice Krispies treats, ice cream flavors such as Rocky Road, as a topping for hot chocolate, candied yams, and in several other foodstuffs.

Marshmallows are manufactured in the United Kingdom by, amongst others, Haribo, Barrett, Princess, and numerous 'non' brand companies including shops and supermarkets.^{[citation needed]}

Marshmallows are popular in Asia, particularly in the previous colonies of the UK.^{[citation needed]} One of the largest suppliers in Asia is Erko Foods, based in China. The company exports to 56 countries. Erko is also the market leader in the Middle East, where their Halal marshmallow is sold.

Roasted marshmallows

A marshmallow that has been roasted over an open flame.

A popular camping or backyard tradition in the United States is the roasting or toasting of marshmallows over a campfire or other open flame.^[5] A marshmallow is placed on the end of a stick or skewer and held carefully over the fire. This creates a caramelized outer skin with a liquid, molten layer underneath. According to individual preference, the marshmallows are heated to various degrees—from gently toasted to a charred outer layer. The roasted marshmallow can either be eaten whole or the outer layer can be consumed separately and the rest of the marshmallow toasted again.

S'mores are made by placing a toasted marshmallow on a slice of chocolate which is then placed between two graham crackers.^[6]

Dietary preferences

The traditional marshmallow recipe uses powdered marshmallow root, which may be difficult to obtain. Most commercially manufactured marshmallows instead use gelatin in their manufacture, which vegans avoid, as it is derived from animal hides and bones. Marshmallows are also generally considered not to be kosher or halal unless their gelatin is derived from kosher or halal animals, or the marshmallows are vegetarian. An alternative for vegetarians is to use substitute non-meat gelling agents such as agar for gelatin.

Marshmallow creme and other less firm marshmallow products generally contain little or no gelatin, which mainly serves to allow the familiar marshmallow confection to retain its shape. They generally use egg whites instead. Non-gelatin versions of this product may be consumed by ovo vegetarians. Several brands of vegan marshmallows and marshmallow fluff exist.

See also

• Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats
• Chubby Bunny, children's game involving marshmallows
• Marshmallow creme
• Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Petkewich, Rachel (2006). "What's that stuff? Marshmallow". Chemical & Engineering News 84 (16): 41. doi:10.1021/cen-v084n011.p041. http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/84/8416marshmallows.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Rohde, Eleanour Sinclair; A garden of Herbs, Hale Cushman & Flint, 1936
3. ^ ^{a b} The history of marshmallows Candy USA!
4. ^ Terry Richardson, Geert Andersen, "Confectionery" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2005 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a07 411
5. ^ History of Campfire Marshmallows
6. ^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

External links

Look up marshmallow in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marshmallows

• How To Make Your Own Marshmallows
• The Marshmallow Explained at HowStuffWorks.com

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - skumfidus (art slik)

Nederlands (Dutch)
marshmallow, (snoepgoed van) heemst

Français (French)
n. - (Bot) guimauve, (Culin) pâte de guimauve

Deutsch (German)
n. - (Bot.) Eibisch, süßer Speck

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) βίσκος, νερομολόχα, δενδρομαλάχη

Italiano (Italian)
marshmallow

Português (Portuguese)
n. - marshmallow (m)

Русский (Russian)
зефир, алтей аптечный или лекарственный

Español (Spanish)
n. - malvavisco, "esponjas" dulces, melcochas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - altea (bot.), marshmallow (slags sötsak)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
药属葵, 药属葵蜜饯

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 藥屬葵, 藥屬葵蜜餞

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (음식의 일종) 머시 멜로우

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ウスベニタチアオイ, マシュマロ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نبات خبيزة الأهوار‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מרשמלו (ממתק)‬