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| Tree Mallow |
Were you one of those ill-informed people who had no idea
that marshmallow is a plant from which the confection was traditionally made
and after which it was named? Were you utterly clueless of the fact that the
“candy” was actually more like sweet medicine often given to children to settle
an upset stomach or soothe a sore throat? Are you embarrassingly ignorant of
the fact that today’s “marshmallows” have no trace of the plant or the
medicinal value that it once had? Please tell me that you aren’t well into
adulthood and just finding out any of this for the first time!
…But if you are, then join the club. Yes, I too was in the
dark regarding the truth about marshmallows, until relatively recent.
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| Marshmallow |
I discovered the truth about marshmallows, Latin name
Althaea officinalis, only after beginning to study herbalism, which, I’m sorry
to say, didn’t happen until I was in my 30’s. I’d read that sweets using the
marshmallow plant went as far back as ancient Egypt, where the copious mucilage
from the roots was probably boiled together with honey and spices and given to
finicky kids who gagged when given bitter medicines.
So, now you know! Better late than never, as they say. I bet
not a few folks have gone to a gooey grave never realizing that the guilty
pleasure they so treasured had originally been used to promote good health and
probably prolong life, rather than contribute to cutting it short.
Although generally speaking, the root of the marshmallow
would be used, all parts of the plant, including the flowers, leaves and
seedpods (also called “cheeses”) are medicinal and chock full of mucilage that
make for good marshmallows. That’s good news for those of us who don’t want to
uproot the entire, or even part, of the marshmallow plant.
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| Mallow flowers |
Believe it or not, these flowers, a combination of marshmallow flowers and tree mallow flowers...
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| Marshmallows |
