If you lived in the US or Canada during the 1950s, you KNOW the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. He was the advertising logo for promoting these pure sugar treats. At the time, the two competing brands were Stay Puft and Campfire.
I think that Campfire brand won the merchandising war back in the day. But, not to be outdone the Stay Puft fellow came back to wreak his revenge in the original Ghostbusters movie. it was an iconic scene...
This (marshmallow) is a uniquely North American thing, I think. I do not believe that many of our European, and 'other where' friends, did not know marshmallows growing up.
It's similar I think to the disconnect between growing up eating Nutella for breakfast, versus having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, or just about anytime. I know my Belgian friends were amused by these air puffed sugar balls when I produced them during my several year hiatus living there.
The American Campfire branded marshmallows passed their " taste test." After all, you could add them to hot chocolate - a local speciality. However, offering my friends American peanut butter was like feeding them mud, or worse. The looks on their faces were priceless, on their first taste. Nuts are nuts, Nutella is buttered hazelnuts, albeit with chocolate added.
And so it goes...
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