Sweet & Sara
By Colleen Holland
Meet Sara Sohn, the mastermind behind what may be the Holy Grail of veganism: the marshmallow.
There's no doubt that Sara Sohn has conquered the vegan marshmallow. Launching her business, Sweet & Sara, just five years ago, she now churns out gelatin-free marshmallows, s'mores, macaroons, and biscotti for stores around the country. Creating the world's first vegan marshmallow was no small feat—it took more than 100 rounds and 10 months to perfect the technique. With unwavering family support and a new 7,000 square-foot marshmallow factory in Queens, NY, this vegan businesswoman is just getting started. VegNews visited with Sohn in New York to hear her story.
VegNews: How did you come up with the idea to start a vegan marshmallow company?
Sara Sohn: I realized I was just one of the countless number of people who really missed rice crispy treats and no one was doing anything about it.
VN: Your family is very important to you and your company. How are they involved?
SS: You mean besides being loyal taste testers? My parents are the most hardworking, supportive people in the world. Mom's super tiny but she's got super strength. She does everything from putting sticker labels on all the products, to helping out in the kitchen, to running up and down four flights to get the mail, to feeding our staff. Dad is the handyman and fixes everything and anything in the factory, and believe me, there's never a day where something does not need repair. My sister makes sure all the orders get packed efficiently and is the peacemaker when my parents and I squabble about who forgot to water the plants. She is also the genius behind our brand name.
VN: When did you go vegan?
SS: This month, I celebrate 19 years of being vegan. At the age of 12, I fell in love with a little bunny named Skipper—she was my baby, and she completely changed the way I viewed animals. A year later, I happened to pass by an animal-rights table and what caught my attention were these graphic photos of rabbits that had undergone horrific experiments. The pictures were awful and my heart really hurt, and my life would never be the same. The next day I became veg, and vegan a year later.
VN: What are some unique ways to eat vegan marshmallows?
SS: I know several people who will only eat our s'more pies out of the freezer, as they transform into a cold, chewy, delightful treat. Many people also love heating the s'mores in the microwave or oven and although they will look intact, once you take a bite, you get a nice gooey marshmallow mess. You can also dip the strawberry marshmallows in chocolate for a nice chocolate-covered-strawberry dessert.
VN: OK, we're officially drooling. Are you working on any new desserts?
SS: We just came out with some non-marshmallow vegan treats—macaroons, cinnamon-hazelnut biscotti, and double-chocolate-mocha-almond biscotti. I am trying to create vegan confections that no one else makes.
VN: Where do you see veganism going in the next 10 years?
SS: We've come so far. Nineteen years ago, I thought I would be living on brown soymilk and carob bars forever. Now, it's so easy to be vegan and people are very accepting of it. In 10 years, no one will ask, "Why vegan?"
VN: What's been the highlight of your journey this far?
SS: Although I am not rich in funds, I am rich in the heart with the most unbelievably supportive friends and family. Another highlight would be the fact that our vegan marshmallows have been so widely accepted by the mainstream. We've been on the Food Network, CNBC, and the Rachael Ray show. We've been mentioned in Martha Stewart's Weddings magazine, the Korean edition of Forbes, and Time Out New York Kids. I can't make the world go vegan overnight but I do have an influence and can affect the way people eat—one marshmallow at a time.
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Posted: May 25 2010 10:41AM By Lauren
I love these treats! I didn't know anything about the company or where they came from so thanks for doing this interview. This chick is amazing. 19 years vegan ... wow
Posted: May 25 2010 11:33AM By Cody
S&S toasted coconut marshmallows FTW!!!
Posted: May 25 2010 11:39AM By JK
Great article. It would have been interesting to know if she had a background in food preparation or anything related, though.
Posted: May 25 2010 12:32PM By Mandie
Big Fan here! The smores are my weakness.
Posted: May 25 2010 15:43PM By pcr
Love love love her stuff. Amazing!
Posted: May 25 2010 20:12PM By Laura
Just a minor correction. This is NOT the first vegan marshmallow. They've been around for decades. My daughter even learned to make them at Youth Camp (Young Disciple Youth Bible Camp, which serves vegan food). And contrary to the nasty rumours, Emes was vegan. From what I heard, a company that wanted exclusive rights to market Emes products and was refused, started the rumour that Emes Kosher Gel was not vegan, eventually contributing to the collapse of the Emes business.
Posted: May 26 2010 08:34AM By fran Costigan
Great article! Thank you VN and thank you Sara for bringing us these crazy good vegan treats. I'm attesting to vegan mallows as one of the holy grails for sure. No easy task! I love Sara!
Posted: May 26 2010 11:32AM By Carmen
These marshmallows are amazing--I especially love the strawberry ones but the vanilla are so perfect for campfires! Any possibility of coming up with Lucky Charms-style marshmallow bits? I'm still dreaming of vegan Lucky Charms and Sara seems like the person to do it! :-P
Posted: May 26 2010 16:49PM By Geraldine
Where can I find the Vegan Marshmallows? I have had the vegan creme but reading about the marshmallows made my mouth water. Where are they available?
Posted: May 26 2010 16:57PM By Karen
Great Q&A on this very smart woman and her wonderful creations!! i'm a fan of vegan marshmallows for sure!!
Posted: May 26 2010 19:33PM By paula
THey are great on sweet pot casserole. NOw i can have my favorite thanksgiving indulgence. Thanks sara. i bugged my local whole foods till they started carrying them. Their first order.;. completely taken up by staff!! thanks!
Posted: May 27 2010 05:35AM By Mimi
Sara is truly an inspiration to young women who want to start their own business. She persevered when others failed. My fave S & S product: BARK!!!! Thanks Sara for your hard work and dedication to compassion.
Posted: Jun 03 2010 10:12AM By Paula
Reading this made my day! I stay away from vegan treats due to waistline issues ( I have to exercise enough restraint with the tabbouleh servings as is!) but it's great to know these products are available. Above all, Sara just made my day. It's people like her that help keep my pessimism about earth at bay. Plus, I LOVE hearing about individuals who have been vegans for a long, long time.
Posted: Jun 03 2010 11:52AM By Carol
Sweet & Sara products are amazing! So glad to see new products coming out! FYI anyone interested in getting them, check out their website sweetandsara.com which has a list of stores where their products are sold OR buy directly from Sweet & Sara!!! Also one sidebar on earlier comment, Emes Gel was never Vegan, it was conclusively proven with several independent laboratory tests. Check out vegparadise.com for full details in their 2005 follow of the controversy.
Posted: Jun 03 2010 12:02PM By Luigi
These marshmallows are awesome. BTW, not to be harsh, but Emes never tasted good. Sweet & Sara actually TASTES GOOD! THAT'S the difference. I mean, come on, why else would Jorge Gracia from 'LOST' be such a big fan of these marshmallows?
Posted: Jun 03 2010 12:23PM By Michele
S & S treats ROCK!!! I love all the marshmallow flavors. Thank you for your dedication! It is MUCH appreciated!
Posted: Jun 03 2010 12:38PM By Anita Manley
Tried the s'mores and absolutely love them but didn't realize until I got home that I paid $6.98 each for them. Is that correct??????? Holy cow. Can't afford to pay prices like that for just one!!!
Posted: Jun 03 2010 15:28PM By dks64
Laura - "From what I heard, a company that wanted exclusive rights to market Emes products and was refused, started the rumour that Emes Kosher Gel was not vegan" If you watch the video on YouTube you can see how Emes was proven to not be vegan. It contained animal protein, which is the reason Emes would not firm up in pineapple.
Posted: Jun 03 2010 15:30PM By dks64
I LOVE Sweet & Sara marshmallows, I just can't justify the $6 price tag. I understand it took years to come up with the product, but ouch. What's sad is the price tag will discourage non-veggies from trying them :( I consider these to be special occasion buys.
Posted: Jun 05 2010 07:16AM By Jerrie
Still trying to find Vegan Marshmallows. Can you help me? I live in Ocala, Fl. Are they available here? thanks
Posted: Jun 10 2010 11:28AM By CM's Mom
Had the great pleasure of meeting Sara and sampling some of the earliest versions. Keep up the great work Sara!
Posted: Jun 15 2010 18:26PM By Jessica
We had these at a campfire the other night and they were delicious; of course we had to militantly parse them out to vegetarians only because of their diamond-level value ($$). One note on safety: you can't use your fingers to test the 'doneness' of these little delights mid-roasting (as you might remember doing with gelatin marshmallows in your pre-vegan youth). They don't form the same protective casing when they brown, and they will scald your skin like hot glue! Maybe all the other veg smores lovers out there are smart enough not to touch their food after pulling it from a fire, but I had to learn the Pavlovian way. At least I had a delectable treat to enjoy while I iced my blisteres. Worth it.
Posted: Sep 04 2010 17:35PM By lena
I LOVE THE SMORES HEATED! :))) I WOULD BUY THE SMORES EVERYDAY IF IT WEREN'T SO *EXPENSIVE*! BUT I STILL LOVE SWEET AND SARA! GREAT JOB AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, SARA!
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