Hi Crunchies

Marshmallow is mostly air and sugar syrup held together by gelatin, which makes it an almost perfect candidate for freeze-drying. Take the water out and you are left with the air structure alone — rigid, crisp and hollow.

The change is total. A soft, squishy, slightly sticky sweet becomes something that crunches audibly and then vanishes on the tongue. Children find this genuinely funny; the texture does not behave the way a marshmallow is supposed to.

The flavour is clean vanilla with no artificial edge, which makes it a useful palate change from the fruit bags. It is also excellent dropped into hot chocolate — the pieces crisp for a second, then dissolve.

The 4 oz bag holds 113 g — close to three times the small bag for well under three times the price, which makes it the better buy once you know you like a flavour. It is also the sharing size: poured into a bowl it fills it, and it disappears faster than anyone expects.

Store it sealed in a cool, dry place. Moisture is the one thing that undoes freeze-dried candy — an open bag left out will slowly go soft, so press the seal shut properly and it will keep its snap.

• 4oz bag — more pieces, more fun
• Freeze-dried chewy candy with intense fruit flavour
• Contains Soy — see allergen info
• Snack Kings LLC, Linden NJ