Did You Know Marshmallow Fluff Was Invented Right Here in New England?

If you grew up eating peanut butter and Fluff sandwiches, you probably never stopped to wonder where that sweet, sticky, ridiculously fluffy spread came from.

Well, it turns out Marshmallow Fluff has some serious Massachusetts roots.

The iconic marshmallow spread was invented right here in Somerville, Massachusetts, more than a century ago.

According to the official Fluff website, two young men, H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower, formed a partnership to manufacture Marshmallow Fluff. Both were graduates of Swampscott High School and veterans of the United States Infantry in World War I. Before they started making Fluff, the two had already been making candy together.

And in a 1930 account, Durkee looked back on those early days, writing that they began with “one barrel of sugar,” a few tin cans, two spoons, a secondhand Ford and, as he put it, “no customers, but plenty of prospects.”

Just ten years later, the company had grown to have what Durkee described as the largest distribution of marshmallow cream in New England.

Something that started with a couple of guys, a small supply of ingredients and a lot of ambition eventually became a staple in lunchboxes across New England.

And Somerville is so proud of its fluffy claim to fame that the city has an entire festival dedicated to it.

The 21st annual What the Fluff? Festival recently returned to Union Square, celebrating both the invention of Marshmallow Fluff and the neighborhood's history and creativity. This year's theme was “Legally Fluff: A Toast to Union Square,” and the festival was free to attend.

And as someone who grew up eating peanut butter and Fluff sandwiches, I can't believe I'm just learning about this festival now. Not to mention, PB & Fluff sandwiches are one of my dad's favorites. They always make me think of him. And yes, he grew up in Somerville, Mass!

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So the next time you make a Fluffernutter, you can impress your friends with a little Massachusetts trivia: that jar of fluffy goodness has Somerville roots and an entire festival to celebrate its sweet, sticky history.