How are marshmallows made, and where did...

Marshmallows apparently came from France, where cooks made a confection called pate de Guimauve from the juice of a plant called the marshmallow. The sticky juice of the plant was mixed with eggs and sugar, then beaten to a foam. The marshmallows we buy today no longer make use of the marshmallow plant. Instead, they are made of beaten egg whites, gelatin, and sugar syrup.