A Modjeska is a confection consisting of

marshmallow Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...

dipped in caramel. It was created in the 1880s in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

by confectioner Anton Busath (1845-1908) to honor Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, who was performing there in the US debut production of Ibsen's ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

''. After Modjeska granted Busath permission to use her name for the candy, she sent him an autographed portrait, which he hung in his shop. Other Louisville shops began to make versions of the candy, which continues to be popular in the region today; in particular, Bauer's Candies in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky renamed their own "caramel biscuit" the Modjeska in tribute to Busath after his family's store was destroyed by a fire. Muth's Candies and Dundee Candy in Louisville, and Schimpff's Confectionery in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in the Louisville metropolitan area, also sell the candy.

References

American confectionery Marshmallows Cuisine of Louisville, Kentucky History of Louisville, Kentucky {{Louisville-stub

See also

References