And now it's time for who's smarted.
Psst, howdy smarty panters!
Grab a seat by the campfire and join me for some treats!
Now, if you listen to our episode on camping, you might remember my good friend Robert Maroon told us all about camping.
And then ate all the marshmallows!
Luckily, Maroon is busy surfing with alligators today.
So, he's not around to eat all my food.
Instead, I get to miss him while I snack on lots of marshmallows!
Oh, yeah! Smarty pants!
What's your favorite marshmallow treat?
Is it hot chocolate with marshmallows?
Peeps, rice crispy treats, fluffer nutters, or maybe you love the old campfire classic, the S'more.
Mmmmm, I have my chocolate, my graham cracker, and of course, my marshmallows!
To make a S'more, you first grab a marshmallow and you put it at the end of a stick, like this.
Hehe, that tickles! Uh, did my marshmallow say something?
It sure did! I'm Marsha!
Uh, hi, Marsha the marshmallow, I'm trusty, the narrator!
Nice to meet you! Yeah, of course, now that you're talking to me, I don't know what you're saying.
I don't know if I want to eat you.
Well, while you make up your mind, let me just say, I'm just full of surprises.
You don't say? Did you know that I was once used as medicine?
Marsh medicine? Really?
And I was once a treat that only the very rich and powerful could enjoy.
Really? When was that? Come with me, on a journey of discovery, and I'll show you all the wonders of the magical marshmallow.
Uh, now I was kind of hoping to eat some s'mores.
Nope, magical journey of discovery!
Ta-da! Isn't this place beautiful?
Here are my roots. Literally!
Hehe. Uh, great! There are bugs!
And tall grass everywhere!
And now my feet are all wet and muddy.
Yuck! Where are we? And what happened to my bag of marshmallows?
Hmm, you must have left it behind when we traveled through time and space.
Great! Of all the marshmallows I could have picked, I chose the one who can teleport.
Smarty pants, can you guess where we are?
It has to do with my name.
Hehe. Right. Smarty pants.
What's the deal with marshmallows?
What are they actually made of?
How did they go from being a royal treat to a favorite squishy snack?
And... Where? The heck am I?
It's time for another whiff of science and history on...
Hell smart egg! Who smarted?
Who smart is it you? Is it me?
Is it science or history?
Listen up! Everyone! We make smarting!
Lots of fun on who smart egg!
Hey there, it's trusty.
When you know I love sitting at home listening to good podcasts as much as I love going on adventures, and do I have a great one to recommend to all you smarty pants and smarty parents from the award-winning Go Kids Go team?
It's called Snoop and Sniffy.
What happens when Snoop, an experienced dog detective from London, gets sent to small town Fluegraville to train clueless puppy Sniffy as an undercover agent?
Mystery. Adventure! And chaos!
Seriously, the town of Fluegraville isn't Dolseville like Snoop expected, and he quickly realizes that he can't handle all the action without Sniffy by his side.
Even when they're able to turn a blind eye to the alien superheroes and villains battling it out for control of Fluegraville, Snoop and Sniffy have their paws full solving wild and wacky mystery cases on bark street.
Do you love to laugh? Do you love animals?
Do you have the brightest minds since Sherlock Holmes?
Then tag along, there are already eight seasons of hilarious canine crimes to solve.
Search for Snoop and Sniffy on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Okay, smarty pants. First things first.
Let's figure out where Marshmallow has transported us.
Any guesses? Yeah, I have no idea either.
But there sure are a lot of bugs.
Gotcha, giant mosquito.
Okay, Marshmallow, I give up.
Where on earth did you bring me?
Well, before I tell you where I brought you, first I'll answer when I brought you.
And that is, 4,000 years ago.
4,000 years ago? You brought me back?
4,000 years? Just so I could stand in, in, where am I?
It looks and feels like a swamp.
Gee, no, no. It's not a swamp.
It's a marsh. A marsh? Yep.
It's an entirely different kind of wetland.
It's also where my name comes from.
Ah, that makes sense. But smarty pants.
Why do you think Marshmallows are named after marshes?
Is it A, they're white, like the swans that live in marshes?
B, they come from a marsh-based plant.
Or C, marshes are pretty mellow.
What do you say, Marsha?
The answer is B. Marshmallows come from a marsh-based plant.
And that plant is a type of mellow plant.
Look, there's one right there.
This one with the pink flowers?
Yup. But the original marshmallow did not come from the marsh mellow plants flowers.
Hmm, smarty pants. Can you guess what part of the plant is used to make marsh mellows?
Is it the roots, the stem, or the leaves?
I may have given you a hint earlier.
It's the roots. Ah. Sap from the roots of a marsh mellow plant was mixed with nuts and honey to make the first marsh mellow.
Wow, but I can't imagine that tasting like the marsh mellows me and the smarty pants are used to.
Ow! I think an ancient winged creature just stung me.
Marsha, where exactly is this marsh?
He he he. Oh, I'm sure you can figure it out.
Here's a hint. Oh, I now find myself inside a room with massive columns, statues, and artwork covered in what looks like, hieroglyphics.
Smarty pants. Can you guess what country we're in?
Did you say Egypt? Nice job if you got that.
We're in an ancient Egyptian palace to be precise.
Egyptian palaces are where you'll find the first marsh mellows.
In ancient times, marsh mellows were only made for royalty, such as the ruling pharaohs.
Ancient Egyptians also believed that gods they worshipped and enjoyed marsh mellows too.
Think about that the next time you poke a stick into a marsh mellow and roast it in a fire.
Hey, who dares disturb the palace?
Haha. Oh, hi palace guard.
It's just me, the trusting narrator, with a marsh mellow.
That's no marsh mellow.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you.
Marsh mellows in ancient times looked nothing like the ones you're used to.
In fact, nobody knows what they looked like back then.
Guards, seize them. Take them to the dungeon.
Uh, Marsha? We should probably be marsh making our way out of here.
Good idea. Haha. Okay, next stop.
Oh, hello. This won't hurt the beat.
Huh? What? Where are you putting on my arm?
I'm uh, covering your beasting.
Oh, right. I forgot about that.
Wait, where am I? Hey, why'd you put that on my head?
For your amnesia. We are in ancient Greece.
More than a thousand years after the Egyptians first used the marsh mellow.
Do you have a toothache?
Uh, no. Sort throat? No.
Sort wounds? Well, we were being chased by Egyptian guards, but I don't think I'm even strugged.
Brugged me? Hey, better cover you up, a Justin Gase.
Marsha, who is this guy?
And why does he keep putting this stuff on me?
First question first. This is an ancient Greek doctor, and the reason he keeps is because back then, and for hundreds of years after, marsh mellow was used as medicine.
Aha. Smarty pants. You just heard this ancient Greek doctor suggest using marsh mellow to treat beastings, tooth shakes, sore throats, and sword injuries.
Ow. But what else did ancient doctors believe marsh mellow could help with?
A, stomach aches. B, the sniffles.
Two. C, sleeping. Or D, pooping.
The answer is all of them.
Whoa. Whoa, is right. Who knew marsh mellow was such a cure all?
The question is, does it work?
Of course. Well, some people think so, including some today.
But there's very little scientific evidence to prove it.
Even so, do not expect a cure from the marsh mellows you and the smarty pants eat.
Why not? Because modern marsh mellows are very, very, very different.
Let me show you. Where are we now?
Hmm. Smells like candy.
Here in a French candy factory in the 1800s, marsh mellow was mostly used as medicine until the French created a marsh mellow candy just like the Egyptians did.
The French version is a lot closer to modern marsh mellows, candy makers whipped dried marsh mellow roots with sugar, water, and egg whites.
To create a dessert that was both spongy and soft.
But there was a problem with it.
Smarty pants. Can you guess what the problem was?
Is it A, the dessert didn't taste good.
B, the dessert became too popular.
Or C, the dessert became illegal.
The answer is B. Marsh mellow candies became way too popular.
So the French developed a way to make a whole bunch of them at once, using molds made out of modified cornstarch.
It's how gummy bears and jelly beans are made today.
But not marshmallows. Nope.
Marsh mellows went through a few more changes, including a big one.
Hmm. I wonder what it could be.
Smarty pants. Let me guess.
They used to be bigger or a different color.
Don't tell me they used to be harder to bite into.
No, it's not that. It's that marsh mellows are no longer made from plants.
Wait. You mean there's no more marsh mellow in marsh mellows?
How? Why? I'm going to show and tell you.
Great. I can't wait to see and hear it.
But first, a quick break.
Hey there, smarty listeners.
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And now back to who's smarted?
Okay, smarty pants to recap.
We just learned that the marshmallows of today are nothing like the marshmallows of the past.
In fact, they're no longer made from mallow plants found in marshes.
And to show us what today's marshmallows are made of, MERSHA, the marshmallow, has brought us to...
Where exactly? We're in the country with the largest number of marshmallow fans.
Mmm, smarty pants. And yes, what country that is?
Is it A, Egypt, B, Switzerland, C, the United States, or D, China?
Why it's... The good old US of A, where more than 90 million pounds of marshmallows are purchased each year.
That's about the weight of 190 train engines.
Or better yet, Choo Choo.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.
But where and when exactly are we right now?
We're in Los Angeles in the 1950s, where the modern marshmallow was born, thanks to this device.
Wait, where'd you get that thing?
Also, what is it? It looks like a bunch of tubes.
Uh-huh. Now I want everyone listening to the sound of my voice to close your eyes and think about a marshmallow.
You know, they kind of roast in a fire or used to make s'mores.
Are you thinking of it? Good.
Now what shape is it? Smirty pants.
What shape is your average marshmallow?
Is it A, a cylinder, like a can?
B, a cue, like a box. Or C, a pyramid, like, well, a pyramid.
Well, I don't know about you, but my marshmallow is tend to be cylindrical, like a little can.
Right. And you have marshmallow maker Alex Duman to thank for that.
He created what's called the extrusion process, which pushes the marshmallow mixture through tubes like the one I'm holding and pumps it with air, creating long, soft marshmallow snakes.
Cut those snakes up into equal pieces and ta-da!
You have cylindrical shaped marshmallows.
Gotcha. Of course, it's weird to think of marshmallows as snakes or any animal except maybe peeps.
Actually, you should, because most marshmallows are made from animals.
They are? Yep. The change happened back in the 1800s when marshmallows became a candy tree.
It was taking way too long to dry and prepare the mallow plant.
So candy makers got rid of the marshy plant and instead, used an ingredient made from animal bones, cartilage, and skin.
It's an ingredient also in many gummy candies as well as soups, sauces, and of course, jello.
What's the secret? Do you know what this ingredient is called?
Is it a jelly? B. gelatin.
C. gelato. Or D. Bacon. Most modern marshmallows contain sugar, corn syrup, starch, water, and B.
gelatin. With gelatin, candy makers can make more marshmallows faster.
But because these marshmallows contain animal products, they're not vegetarian.
Fortunately, some candy makers have found ways to make marshmallows without gelatin, so everyone can enjoy a marshmallow tree.
Like s'mores. And speaking of s'mores, can we head back to my campsite?
Sure. Ah, it's good to be back.
But hey, all my marshmallows are gone.
Who ate them all? I don't know.
Hey, is that a note? Oh, it is.
Hey, trusty, I finished alligator surfing early and stopped by.
Sorry, I missed you mate.
But thanks for leaving me all those marshmallows.
Love? Maroon. Ah, Maroon ate all my food again.
He couldn't leave me one marshmallow.
All I want is one little marshmallow.
Wait. Hey, gotta go. Bye.
A big shout out to Smarty Fan Natalie.
In Rochester, New York, who said, and I quote, I love who smarted because it has facts about a lot of interesting topics.
And I like the characters because they're funny.
Aw, thanks for that. We're so glad you love smarting with us, Natalie.
This episode, Marshmallows, was written by Dave S'mores Bodry and voiced by Gia, gelatin Davis, Max, mini marshmallow, Kamaski, Adam, sweet stavis, and Jerry Colbert.
This has been an atomic entertainment production.
Thanks for watching.
