And don’t say “vanilla”, I know what fucking vanilla tastes like. There’s a distinct flavor that marshmallows (especially store-bought marshmallows) have and I want to know what it is.
It’s Marsh Mallow flavored, though probably artificially:
What flavor are marshmallows?
Submitted 22 hours ago by nemo@piefed.social to [deleted]
Comments
FUCKING_CUNO@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 hours ago
Fondots@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
It’s not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure that as far as added flavorings go, for your bog-standard marshmallow, you’re pretty much just looking at vanilla.
Not that it’s the only thing you’re tasting, there’s sugar of course, and that’s sugar has been cooked to a certain temperature which changes some of its properties, there’s gelatine which has a bit of flavor on its own, there’s air mixed into it which affects the both feel which can change how you perceived the flavor, etc. so they’re kind of a gestalt flavor experience where the whole thing comes together as more than just the taste of whatever flavor you added to it.
Some people will say that it tastes like marsh mallow (the plant)
Traditionally they would have been made with marshmallow root, almost no one has done it that way in a long time and the marshmallows you’re buying at a grocery store almost certainly contain no marshmallow root. I’ve had some things made with the root, there’s not much flavor there, maybe a bit of earthiness, the main point of it was as sort of a thickener, which is the role filled by gelatin in modern marshmallows.
undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 17 hours ago
Dead animals’ skin and bones with some vanilla?
ethaver@kbin.earth 14 hours ago
idk but I love freeze dried marshmallows and can never find them anywhere.
Pika@sh.itjust.works 2 hours ago
can’t you just throw marshmallows in the freezer and then consume when wanted?
deadcream@sopuli.xyz 22 hours ago
Sugar
Sergio@piefed.social 17 hours ago
There’s a distinct flavor
Yeah, when I was a kid, there were like 2-3 difference places I could get soft-serve ice cream from, and at one of them the vanilla flavor was marshmallow-like and it was my favorite.
I don’t have an answer, tho. For all I know, it was just a distinctive type of vanilla.
hydrashok@sh.itjust.works 22 hours ago
Marshmallow and artificial preservatives.
CannedYeet@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
Gelatin
cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
It’s sugar.
And yes, it might be vanilla. Tons of things have vanilla in them that aren’t “vanilla.” Like chocolate chip cookies. Like frosting. It’s not enough to give it a “vanilla” flavour, just enough to give it something. That’s why vanilla is considered boring/default, because in baking, it is.
Now if you’re talking roasted marshmallows, you’re applying heat to sugar — you’re caramelising it. Before you say “I know what fucking caramel tastes like,” I’m just describing the process for what is happening to the sugar, and yes, that is actually how caramel is made. It’s also how a lot of hard candy is made, too, like those little white and red peppermint discs. Those just use mint extract rather than vanilla. Same concept. Heated more (hard ball stage rather than soft ball).
Look at the ingredients though. If vanilla is listed, it’s vanilla. If it’s not, you’re just tasting sugar. If you’re roasting them, you’re tasting caramlised sugar (possibly with some vanilla).
It’s not a secret ingredient. They have to disclose all ingredients. There are no true mystery flavours out there. White/clear Lifesavers? Those are pineapple. Same with white jellybeans. It’s only a mystery to kids, and to those who don’t research.
Skyrmir@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
They’re supposed to disclose all the ingredients, the contents of my Olive Oil and Peanut Butter would argue they very much do NOT.