Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day, celebrating the gooey treat that turns golden, crisp and caramelized over a flame.
Marshmallows began very differently: ancient Egyptians used sap from the marsh mallow plant in medicinal sweets, while 19th-century French confectioners transformed it into candy. By the late 1800s, gelatin replaced the plant extract, making marshmallows cheaper and easier to mass-produce. Marshmallow roasts were already a summer fad in the 1890s, decades before s’mores appeared. Toasting works because heat browns the sugars on the outside while warming and expanding the air-filled center, creating that familiar lightly crisp shell and stretchy, gooey middle.
For the perfect campfire marshmallow, wait until the flames die down, then hold it near the glowing coals instead of directly in the fire with a 2-pronged skewer to prevent slipping, rotating it slowly so the inside melts while the outside browns evenly without burning.