Marsh mallow, marshmallow connection

The marshmallow (right) is a confection that, in its modern form, consists of sugar or corn syrup, beaten egg whites, gelatin that has been pre-softened in water, gum arabic and flavorings, whipped to a spongy consistency.

On the other hand, marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) is a perennial herb of the mallow family that has a mucilaginous root sometimes used in confectionery and in medicine and looks like the plant in the photo below.




So what's connection? The traditional marshmallow recipe used an extract from the mucilaginous root of the marsh mallow instead of gelatin.

So that's where the name comes from.