The existence of marshmallow paste is documented as early as 1779 in a letter from the Marquis de Sade, imprisoned in the dungeon of Vincennes, to his wife, where he says, “Another loaf of marshmallow paste, please.”
It’s funny to see marshmallow associated with Sade, who was imprisoned multiple times for… sadism.
Four months after his wedding, Sade was accused of blasphemy and incitement to sacrilege, which were capital offenses.[43] He had rented a property in Paris which he used for sexual encounters. On 18 October 1763, Sade hired a prostitute named Jeanne Testard. Testard stated to the police that Sade had locked her in a bedroom before asking whether she believed in God. When she said that she did, Sade said there was no God and shouted obscenities concerning Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Sade then masturbated with a chalice and crucifix while shouting obscenities and blasphemies. He asked her to beat him with a cane and an iron scourge which had been heated by fire, but she refused. Sade then threatened her with pistols and a sword, telling her he would kill her if she did not trample on a crucifix and exclaim obscene blasphemies. She reluctantly complied. She spent the night with Sade, who read her irreligious poetry. He asked her for sodomy (another capital offense) but she refused. The following morning, Testard reported Sade to the authorities. On 29 October, following a police investigation, Sade was arrested on the personal orders of the king and jailed in Vincennes prison.
From the French Wikipédia:
It’s funny to see marshmallow associated with Sade, who was imprisoned multiple times for… sadism.