Whether theyre toasted on sticks or melted in smores, marshmallows are a favorite camping treat. According to the National Confectioners Association, Americans eat 90 million pounds of them every year. Thats about the weight of 1,286 gray whales!
Did you know that marshmallows were also popular in ancient Egypt? Back then they were made from the marsh mallow plant, a flowering plant that grows in swampy areas. (Its easy to see how the marshmallow got its name.)
The Egyptians squeezed sap from the plants roots and mixed it with honey. The treat was so prized only pharaohs and other powerful people could eat it.
Todays marshmallows are made from gelatin, egg whites and sugar, not plant roots. The goo is piped through tubes and cut into pieces just right for munching around a campfire.
The Israelites did a lot of camping after they left Egypt. In fact, they camped in the wilderness for 40 years. They probably didnt have any Egyptian marshmallows but God provided something even better: manna. The Bible says this food from heaven tasted sweet, like honey. It was Gods way of taking care of His people.
The next time you are camping and eating a marshmallow, think about the God who fed the Israelites in the wilderness. He cares about you, too, and is able to provide everything you need.< ...
