How to Buy Vegan Marshmallows

Marshmallows were originally made with the gelling agent mucilate, produced from the extract of the marsh mallow plant. Mucilate is a mucusy substance that does not dissolve in water. Today, most commercially manufactured marshmallows use gelatin instead of real marsh mallow extract due to cost and availability. Gelatin (the stuff in your jiggly gelatin desserts) is derived from animal hides and bones.

Even most kosher pareve marshmallows are not suitable for vegans as they usually contain fish gelatin OR EVEN WORSE some contain gelatin derived from cows but are still labeled kosher pareve because gelatin is not technically "meat" or "dairy".

If you must have your s'mores, Sweet and Sara in Queens, New York claims to produce truly vegan marshmallows in standard vanilla as well as such nontraditional flavors as Mexican chocolate and toasted coconut. Unfortunately, I have not been successful in finding these locally in Asheville, NC.

If you are a pesco-vegetarian, your options increase substantially. Marshmallows made with fish gelatin are a perfect substitute but seem to dry out faster if not used quickly. Earth Fare grocery stores, located throughout the Southeast carries Elyon brand (made in Israel) that contain: sugar, corn syrup, water, kosher fish gelatin from Nile perch or tilapia, corn starch, and vanilla flavors. I am not sure if the sugar is processed with bone char (see post below).

Marshmallow fluff (the stuff in a jar) and other less firm marshmallow products many times do not contain gelatin but they do generally contain egg whites instead. These substitutes can be used by Ovo-vegetarians. But don't get overly excited - Have you ever tried to roast a glob of marshmallow fluff over a campfire?

Refined Sugar May Be Unhealthy To You, AND It Is Certainly Unhealthy To Some Animals

During the final purification process, cane sugar (but not beet sugar) is filtered through activated carbon (charcoal) which may be of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. Over half of the cane refineries in the United States use bone char (charcoal made from animal bones) as their activated carbon source.

The bone char used in this filtering process is so far removed from its animal source and because none of the charcoal actually becomes part of the finished product, Jewish dietary laws still deem that cane sugar processed in this method is kosher pareve, meaning that it contains no meat or milk in any form as an ingredient. A number of vegans disagree with this perspective.

Beet sugar is not processed with charcoal but is usually labeled as "sugar" (not "beet sugar"). If you can find "beet sugar" on the package it is truly vegan. Several companies claim that none of their branded sugar uses any animal byproducts in its production. For instance, Florida Crystals claims on their website that their sugar that is labeled as "natural" is "made from pure sun-sweetened sugar cane with no additives or preservatives and no animal by-products used in production". And , Hawaii based Sugar In The Raw states that "Sugar In The Raw does not contain any animal by-product, nor does it come into contact with bone char or any other animal by-products during its manufacture. Sugar In The Raw is appropriate for vegan diets".

Is Honey Vegan?

Is the inclusion of honey in the diet acceptable if great care is taken to prevent the harming of any bees in its harvest from the hive? Also, since honey is produced by the bees to provide their own sustenance, how much honey should be left for the bees? Finally, if honey is acceptable, how can I purchase honey that is "bee friendly"?

These are questions that may not be "black or white". Please leave your comments and opinions...