1. Marshmallows

1.棉花糖

To better understand where the marshmallow came from, you must first understand that the name ‘marshmallow’ is a combination of ‘marsh’ and ‘mallow’. It refers to the Mallow plants that grew around marshes; hence the name.

为了更好地理解棉花糖从哪而来，你必须要理解棉花糖的名字，“棉花糖marshmallow”是由marsh（沼泽）和mallow（锦葵）组成。它是指生长在沼泽中的锦葵，这就是它的名字。

This specific plant was harvested in Egyptian times. They did not merely eat it for its sweet flavour, however. Back then, Egyptian doctors were convinced that marshmallow was an effective way of curing a sore throat in children, which sounds like a medication a child would never reject. In fact, it’s thought that this miracle medicine was eaten by richer kids as a treat, rather than a cure.

这种特殊的植物在埃及时代丰收。但人们不是仅仅为了食用它的甜味。当时，埃及的医生相信，沼泽中的锦葵可以有效地治疗儿童咽喉疼痛，孩子似乎不会拒绝这种药。实际上，人们认为，富人家的孩子吃这种神奇的药作为消遣，而不是治疗疾病。

As for the marshmallow as we know of it today, the root goes back to 1800s France, where it was pushed as a treat for kids and adults alike. Then, in 1948, Alex Doumak created a way to make the little delights in a way that was completely automated, allowing the sweet treat to be produced efficiently.

至于今天我们所知道的棉花糖，要追溯到19世纪的法国，它很受孩子和成年人的喜爱。到1948年，Alex Doumak发明了一种方法使这种小甜品的生产完全自动化，提高了它的生产效率。

While the marshmallow is treated as a candy rather than medicine, it wouldn’t hurt to buy a big bag and ‘experiment’ for yourself next time you catch a cold.

尽管棉花糖成为了一种糖果而非药品，但你下次感冒的时候买上一大包自己“试验”一下也不会有害。