Harry and Ron toasted
marshmallows, but they didn't make
them. However, don't put it past
the kitchen houseelves, who are
excellent cooks, to make batches of
this spongy confection in the
Hogwarts kitchens and send them up
to be available as snacks (see
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone). Marshmallows used to be
made from the marsh mallow plant.
The roots have an extract that's
mucilaginous, a word that sounds
like what it means. Today we use
gelatin (or commercially, gum
arabic), but the name has stuck.
Over 4,000 years ago the Egyptians
also developed a treat made from
the mallow plant, which grew in the
marshes of Egypt.
