The fluffy candy is very appropriately named after the mallow plant, which is native to salty marshes in Asia and Europe. The combination of the plant's name and the environment in which it grows led to the term marshmallow. The roots of the mallow plant can be squeezed to harvest a gooey sap.

How did the marshmallow get its name?

Marshmallow was made from the mallow plant (Athaea officinalis) that grows wild in marshes. The term marshmallow was derived both from the native home of the plant and the plant name. ... Owners of small candy stores whipped sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mold.

What is the proper name for marshmallow?

Althaea officinalis, the marsh mallow or marshmallow, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, which is used in herbalism and as an ornamental plant.