Ancient Egyptians were the first to enjoy 'marshmallows.' They were made from the sap of the Mallow plant (*Althaea officinalis*), which grows in marshes. The sap was mixed with honey and nuts to create a medicinal candy for sore throats. In the 1800s, French confectioners whipped the sap with egg whites and sugar to create a fluffy treat. The modern 'everyday' marshmallow no longer contains the mallow plant; instead, it uses gelatin as the stabilizing agent. The fluffy texture is achieved by whipping air into the mixture, creating a stable foam of tiny air bubbles trapped in a sugar-gelatin matrix.