The word "marshmallow" comes from the mallow plant species (Althaea officinalis), a herb native to

parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia which grows in marshes and other damp areas. The plant's
stem and leaves are fleshy, and its white flower has five petals. It is not known exactly when
marshmallows were invented, but their history goes back as early as 2000 BCE. Ancient
Egyptians were said to be the first to make and use the root of the plant to soothe coughs and sore
throats and to heal wounds. The first marshmallows were prepared by boiling pieces of root pulp
with honey until thick. Once thickened, the mixture was strained, cooled, then used as intended. [3][4]
Whether used for candy or medicine, the manufacture of marshmallows was limited to a small scale.
In the early- to mid-1800s, the marshmallow had made its way to France, where confectioners
augmented the plant's traditional medicinal value with indulgent ingredients utilized by the Egyptians.
Owners of small candy stores would whip the sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mold. This
candy, called Pâte de Guimauve, was a spongy-soft dessert made from whipping dried marshmallow
roots with sugar, water, and egg whites.[5][6] It was sold in bar form as a lozenge. Drying and
preparation of the marshmallow took one-to-two days before the final product was produced. [7] In the
late 1800s, candy makers started looking for a new process and discovered the starch mogul
system, in which trays of modified corn starch had a mold firmly pushed down in them to create
cavities within the starch. The cavities were then filled with the whipped marshmallow sap mixture
and allowed to cool or harden.[8] At the same time, candy makers began to replace the mallow root
with gelatin which created a stable form of marshmallow. [4]
By the early 1900s, thanks to the starch mogul system, marshmallows were introduced to the United
States and available for mass consumption. They were sold in tins as penny candy and were soon
used in a variety of food recipes like banana fluff, lime mallow sponge, and tutti frutti. In 1956, Alex
Doumak patented[9] the extrusion process which involved running marshmallow ingredients through
tubes. The tubes created a long rope of marshmallow mixture and were then set out to cool. The
ingredients were then cut into equal pieces and packaged. [4]
Modern marshmallow manufacturing is highly automated and has been since the early 1950s when
the extrusion process was first developed. Numerous improvements and advancements allow for the
production of thousands of pounds of marshmallow a day. [10] Today, the marshmallow typically
consists of four ingredients: sugar, water, air, and a whipping agent (usually a protein). The type of
sugar and whipping agent varies depending on desired characteristics. Each ingredient plays a
specific role in the final product.