While researching nuances of New England dialect (more on that in the future perhaps) I came across “A List of Words That are Unique to New England.” It contains an entry for “Fluff-a-nutter” (which is really spelled fluffernutter, but since it’s pronounced with fewer ‘r’s in parts of Massachusetts I’ll let it go) and states that Marshmallow Fluff is a regional delicacy. I had no idea Fluff originated in New England. It was invented in Somerville, Massachusetts by Archibald Query in 1917. Marshmallow crème already existed at the time, but Query created an especially fluffy version in his kitchen and started selling it door-to-door. He sold the recipe for $500 to the Durkee-Mower company who expanded into retail and are still selling it today. In 1960 Durkee-Mower hired an advertising firm who concocted with great success and stickiness the name Fluffernutter for the Fluff and peanut butter sandwiches that had become a New England treat. In 2006 Somerville started celebrating an annual Fluff Festival (2010 site). Events include the crowning of the Fabulous Pharaoh of Fluff and, of course, a Fluff cooking contest with a grand prize of a private tour of the Durkee-Mower factory.