TIL MarshMallows Are Literally... Marsh Mallows!

Here's something fun I learnt today!

Apparently marsh mallows are an old invention, dating back to at least 2000 BC in Egypt!

And they were made from a plant scientifically described as Athaea officinalis that is commonly known as the marsh mallow.. And it grows on marshes 😄

Althaea officinalis, the marsh mallow or marshmallow is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, which is used in herbalism and as an ornamental plant source

It starts that the ancient Egyptians took the sap out of the plant and mixed it with nuts and honey and the treat was used too soothe coughs and sore throats.

Althea_officinalis_flor.jpg
Marsh Mallow flower source

Over the course of time the marshmallow recipe took various forms until it became mainstream sometime after the 1950s and that brings us to today...where modern marshmallow treats no longer contain any marsh-mallow root and are simply made of sugar, water, air, and a whipping agent.. Heh.

Ok, I hope you enjoyed yet another fun trivia! Here's a link to wikipedia with more info on the history of marshmallows if you fancy to read some more!

Posted Using InLeo Alpha



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Alright, I will level with you - I never knew there a marsh mallow flower existed. But do you know what knowing that one does exist in the world actually puts a little smile on my face. Thanks for that.

I'm not usually this easily pleased. Just for the record.

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Fascinating! Marshmallows have certainly come a long way to reach us today. I would love to try one of the ancient versions

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Pretty cool factoid. Living in ancient Egypt would have really sucked. Live in the hot desert with lice and all sort of nasty diseases. Hard pass on my part.

I prefer our Marshmallows today!
!BBH
!DOOK

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It's weird to know see how things evolved. I guess technology made it more convenient as you don't need to destroy the flower population anymore.

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