How do they make marshmallows?
Marshmallows are incredibly cool — not only do they taste good, but by lighting them you can create a great source of light in a dark campsite! Technically, marshmallows are a confection — a candy. They’ve been around in the form we know them since the mid-1800s. They are called “marshmallows” because part of the early recipe called for sap from the root of the marshmallow plant. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a marshmallow is: 1: a pink-flowered European perennial herb (Althaea officinalis) of the mallow family that is naturalized in the eastern U.S. and has a mucilaginous root sometimes used in confectionery and in medicine; 2: a confection made from the root of the marshmallow or from corn syrup, sugar, albumen, and gelatin beaten to a light spongy consistency That word “mucilaginous” means “jelly-like.” Later, the root was replaced by gelatin, and that is how modern marshmallows are made. There is a very cool cookbook called