Editing Marshmallow (section)

== History ==
[[File:Althaea officinalis 002.JPG|thumb|The [[Althaea officinalis|marsh-mallow plant]] (''Althaea officinalis'')]]
The word "marshmallow" comes from the mallow plant species (''[[Althaea officinalis]]''), a wetland weed native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia that 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 {{BCE|2000|link=y}}. [[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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Marshmallow.html|title=How Marshmallows are Made|website=www.madehow.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031101656/http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Marshmallow.html|archive-date=2016-10-31}}</ref><ref name=NatConf>{{Cite web|url=http://www.candyusa.com/candy-types/676/|title=Marshmallows|website=www.candyusa.com|publisher=National Confectioners Association|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213105105/http://www.candyusa.com/candy-types/676/|archive-date=2016-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Goldstein |first=Darra |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199313396.001.0001 |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199313396.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-931339-6}}</ref>

Whether used for candy or medicine, the manufacture of marshmallows was limited to a small scale. In the early to mid 19th century, the marshmallow had made its way to France, where confectioners augmented the plant's traditional medicinal value. Owners of small confectionary 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beasley |first1=Henry |title=The Pocket Formulary: And Synopsis of the British & Foreign Pharmacopoeias : Comprising Standard and Approved Formulae for the Preparations and Compounds Employed in Medical Practice |year=1851 |publisher=John Churchill |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40nNmzddBN8C&q=P%C3%A2te+de+Guimauve.&pg=PA288 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Dorvault |first1=François Laurent Marie |title=L'Officine ou Répertoire géneral de pharmacie pratique |year=1850 |publisher=Labé |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7Vkx1Ke8GwC&q=P%C3%A2te+de+Guimauve.&pg=PA411 |language=fr}}</ref> It was sold in bar form as a [[throat lozenge|lozenge]]. Drying and preparation of the marshmallow took one to two days before the final product was produced.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The "Queen" Cookery Books|last=Pownell|first=Beaty|publisher=Horace Cox|year=1904|edition=2|location=London}}</ref> In the late 19th century, 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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Candyfreak : a journey through the chocolate underbelly of America|last=Almond|first=Steve|date=2005-01-01|publisher=Harcourt|oclc=56661890}}</ref> At the same time, candy makers began to replace the mallow root with gelatin, which created a stable form of marshmallow.<ref name=NatConf />

By the early 20th century, thanks to the [[Starch mogul|starch mogul system]], marshmallows were available for mass consumption. In the United States they were sold in tins as penny candy and used in a variety of food recipes like banana fluff, lime mallow sponge, and [[tutti frutti]]. In 1956, [[Doumak|Alex Doumak]] patented<ref name=patent>{{cite web |url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/d6/62/cd/0452de37f3e955/US2847311.pdf |title=Diagram |website= patentimages.storage.googleapis.com|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> the extrusion process that 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.<ref name=NatConf />

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.<ref name=Hartel /> Today, the marshmallow typically consists of four ingredients: sugar, water, air, and a whipping agent.