541: marshmallow Jun 1, 2016

Marshmallows: part of the quintessential American summer-food. The word, however, is much older than the s'mores-tradition. The word comes from the Old English 'mersc-mealwe', meaning 'marsh' and mallow, and is the same root for the word 'mauve' also made from a mallow. Although the food may be unhealthy to eat in large amounts, the scientific name comes from the Greek, 'althein' meaning "to heal".