The Reason Marshmallow Fluff Was Sent To Space
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... Marshmallow Fluff? Astronauts aren't the only ones traveling to space these days. The beloved condiment journeyed into the unknown along with NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. Marshmallow Fluff was lucky enough to leave the Earth and keep Williams company far outside the planet's ozone layer on her past excursion in 2012, according to BBC.
If the gooey marshmallow creme isn't consumed by the spoonful, it's likely paired with its trusty companion: peanut butter. The two creamy spreads smushed between slices of white bread create the fluffernutter sandwich, as detailed by New England Today. Fluff, the star of the fluffernutter sandwich, was sold door to door after it was first created in 1917 right outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The exclusive recipe was sold to candy makers H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower for a measly $500 and they made sales soar (via Marshmallow Fluff). Soon enough, Fluff was being advertised in Boston papers and filling market shelves as it became a go-to pantry item in the Northeast. The brand behind the popular creme got folks hooked on fluffernutter sandwiches with their jingle, "You're glad you have enough for another fluffernutter" (via YouTube).
The sandwich may leave the eater a sticky mess, but it's worth it for Williams. Why did she bring Fluff along to the International Space Station?
Fluff was a taste of home
Williams shared with BBC how she stayed grounded even while spending 322 days away from Earth, and one thing that kept her going was fluffernutter sandwiches. "In space you need to stay as 'usual' as possible," she says. Anything that reminds astronauts of home will bring instant comfort, and food certainly gets that job done. In Williams' case, her favorite childhood snack brought her ease in the moonlight; a fluffernutter, specifically on a tortilla. The astronaut didn't keep her love for the sandwiches a secret and it was showcased for all to see in a video tour of the International Space Station, shared by Slate.
Considering its humble beginnings in Massachusetts, Fluff is unconditionally adored by locals. The pride for the marshmallow goo runs so deep that locals celebrate the treat annually at Somerville's What The Fluff Festival, says Union Square Main Streets. New England Today notes that fluff-filled sandwiches are standard lunchbox fare in the far Northeast. Williams' adoration for the sandwich adds up, as the astronaut calls Needham, Massachusetts home (via NASA).