SC - hand-washing and serving high table
The Cheshire Cat
cheshire at southcom.com.au
Sat Feb 26 00:01:36 PST 2000
Suzanne Powell said:
> A friend of mine posed a question to me, but I could not give her an answer.
> I was hoping someone on this list might be able to help her. Here's the
> pertinent portion of her message:
>
> >Are you on the cook's list? If so, could you ask a question for me?
> >
> >I'm looking for a how-to for making marshmallows using
> >marshmallow root. I've read that the Egyptians used the root and honey.
> >I've also read that the root mixed with egg whites and sugar was a sore
> >throat/cough remedy in the 18th century. I'll take whatever info anyone
> >can give me. I needn't be limited to SCA-period since this isn't for SCA,
> >but rather just a whim I've had for some time.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >--Perronnelle
I remember discussing marsh mallow roots on this list, but I could only find
one message in the Florilegium on this. I have pasted it below. This
message is from the candy-msg file in the FOOD-SWEETS section.
- --
Lord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris Austin, Texas stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at: http://www.florilegium.org ****
> Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 13:04:04 -0500
> From: mermayde at juno.com (Christine A Seelye-King)
> Subject: SC - Our Favorite Fun Foods
>
> I just finished watching a show on the Discovery Channel called "Our
> Favorite Fun Foods". It was an hour long special on famous American
> comfort foods, including SPAM, Twinkies, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Swanson
> TV Dinners, Dr. Pepper, Jell-O, PEZ, Cracker Jack, Hot Dogs, and
> Marshmallows. The history of the marshmallow was interesting. They said
> that Ancient Egyptians extracted a sweet syrupy substance from the roots
> of Mallow plants, and molded them into shapes. They were given to
> Royalty to eat as delicacies. The molded gelatinous sweet was used by
> Alchemists, Chemists, and Druggists to cure all sorts of ailments. A
> Parisian Confectioner produced marshmallows in the early 18th century.
> Mallow roots became very hard to come by and very expensive, so
> scientists developed a substitute syrup made with sugar and gelatin.
> Scientists in the 1920's developed a jet-puffed process, producing the
> product we know today. They showed a tray of the sweets made from the
> mallow roots, and they looked kind of like globs of almond paste. Hmmm, I
> wonder if that was known in the MA? Perhaps in the Mediterranean?
> Cool show, done by the same folks who did "Our Favorite Toys".
> Christianna
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