The marshmallow plant has pale pink flowers and thick roots. If you dig up those roots and soak them in water, they release something slippery. A clear mucilage that coats your fingers.
People used to make sweets this way. They would chop the roots, steep them, strain the liquid. Then whip it with honey or sugar until it held air. The mixture would foam and lighten. Eventually it would set.
This took time. Your arms would ache from beating. The sweet tasted faintly of earth, of root, of the plant itself.
In the 1800s, French confectioners made something called Pâte de Guimauve. They perfected the whipping, the patience required. The result was both substantial and light. A confection that still remembered it came from the ground.
Then gelatin arrived. Cheaper, faster, more consistent. The plant disappeared from the recipe entirely.
Now marshmallows contain no marshmallow. The name remains but the connection is gone.
I think about those French confectioners with their copper bowls. The slow work of extraction. How they knew the plant, handled the roots, felt the mucilage between their fingers.
The modern version is fine for what it is. But something was lost in the speed of industry. A thread between sweet and soil. Between hand and root. Between the thing and its name.
The plant still grows. Its roots still release that clear, slippery sap when soaked. The knowledge of how to use it still exists. Just mostly forgotten.
Wild Marshmallow Vegan Recipe.
Makes 20 pieces
Soft, delicate, plant-powered. A return to the original sweet with foraged roots and aquafaba foam.
For the mucilage:
- 50g dried marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis), chopped fine
- 300ml cold water
For the confection:
- 150ml strained marshmallow mucilage
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 100ml aquafaba (chickpea water from a tin)
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g icing sugar and cornflour mix (50/50) for dusting
Soak chopped marshmallow root in cold water for 8-12 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through muslin, squeezing hard to extract all mucilage. Discard root. Heat sugar with 50ml water to 115°C (soft ball stage).
Soft ball stage means sugar syrup at 115°C – when dropped in cold water, it forms a pliable ball you can squash between your fingers.
Whip aquafaba with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into aquafaba, then add mucilage and vanilla. Keep whipping for 8-10 minutes until thick, glossy, and cooled. Pour into a lined 20cm square tin dusted with icing sugar mix. Dust top generously. Leave 4-6 hours or overnight. Cut into squares with an oiled knife and toss in more icing sugar mix.
Softer than shop marshmallows. Subtle earth notes from the root.