Marshmallow Organic Infusion

Botanical name: Althaea officinalis L.
Common name: Marshmallow
Plant family: Malvaceae
Plant part used: Root
Form: Cut dried root
Origin: France and Italy
Cultivation: Certified organic
Preparation: Decoction

🌿The Root and Its Natural Mucilage

Marshmallow belongs to the mallow family, a group of plants known for their naturally occurring mucilage. The root of Althaea officinalis is particularly valued for this characteristic.

When the dried root is prepared in water, the mucilage absorbs water and creates the distinctive soft, slightly silky texture associated with marshmallow root preparations. This is one of the main characteristics that sets it apart from more aromatic herbal infusions.

🌿Taste & Aroma

Marshmallow root has a very mild, earthy and subtly sweet flavour, without the bitterness or strong aromatic notes found in many medicinal herbs. The aroma is delicate and understated.

The resulting drink is pale and gentle, with a noticeably smooth mouthfeel created by the root's natural mucilage.

🌿Why the Root?

Different parts of the marshmallow plant have traditionally been used in herbal preparations, but the root is especially associated with mucilaginous preparations. Once cut and dried, it can be slowly extracted in water rather than simply brewed like a conventional tea leaf.

This makes marshmallow root particularly interesting for anyone who enjoys traditional single-herb preparations and wants something mild rather than intensely flavoured or aromatic.

🌿Quality & Origin

This infusion contains only 100% organic marshmallow root, grown in France and Italy. There are no added flavours, preservatives or other botanicals.

The root is packaged and inspected in France and is certified according to EU organic standards (FR-BIO-01, EU Agriculture).

Use 1–2 teaspoons (1.5–3 g) of marshmallow root per cup.

For a traditional warm preparation, place the root in cold water, bring gently to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes. Strain before drinking.

Drink 1 cup, 3–4 times a day for 2–3 weeks.

Marshmallow root has a naturally mild, earthy flavour and can be enjoyed on its own or combined with other herbs. For a more aromatic cup, try it with thyme, mallow or liquorice root.

Because the characteristic mucilage of marshmallow is readily extracted in water, the root can also be prepared as a cold maceration. Add the root to cold water, leave covered for several hours or overnight, then strain. This produces an especially soft, smooth drink.

How long does one 60 g bag last?
Approximately 5–13 days when used at the recommended amount of 1.5–3 g per cup, 3–4 times daily.

- Certified Organic Product
- Certified Organic Agriculture (AB certified)
- Origin of raw materials: France, Italy
- Country of manufacture: France, Italy

100% Organic Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis L.).
No additives, flavourings or preservatives.
Origin: France, Italy

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) has a long and quietly impressive history stretching back thousands of years, rooted in herbal medicine long before the plant ever inspired a sweet.

The name Althaea comes from the Greek word althainein, meaning “to heal”. The name itself reflects how highly the plant was regarded in the herbal traditions of the ancient Mediterranean world.

🌿Ancient origins

Marshmallow was used medicinally in Ancient Egypt, where it was valued for its softening and protective qualities. Egyptian preparations of the root were traditionally used for throat irritation and digestive discomfort. Interestingly, the plant was also combined with honey in early medicinal confections, a distant ancestor of the marshmallow sweets we know today.

In Ancient Greece, marshmallow became part of the classical herbal tradition. Ancient medical writers associated the plant with coughs, sore throats, wounds and digestive complaints. Dioscorides later included marshmallow in De Materia Medica, the influential first-century work that shaped European herbal knowledge for centuries, describing uses centred around the plant's characteristic softening qualities.

🌿Roman and medieval use

The Romans also adopted marshmallow as both a useful plant and herbal remedy. Pliny the Elder wrote about it in Natural History, recording a wide range of uses attributed to the plant in Roman medicine.

During the Middle Ages, marshmallow became a familiar plant in European monastery and medicinal gardens. Herbalists used preparations of the root for coughs and throat complaints, digestive and urinary irritation, while external preparations were used on the skin.

The root's naturally abundant mucilage was central to many of these preparations. Herbalists learned to extract this characteristic slippery material in water, creating the soft, mucilaginous preparations for which marshmallow became particularly valued.

🌿Traditional European herbalism

By the Renaissance and early modern period, marshmallow was firmly established in European herbal practice. Across generations, herbalists continued to associate the root with:

- irritated and dry throats
- coughs and respiratory complaints
- stomach and intestinal irritation
- urinary tract discomfort
- soothing external preparations for the skin

What is particularly interesting is the consistency of this traditional use over time. Again and again, marshmallow appears in historical herbal practice when dryness, irritation and the need for something softening or soothing were part of the herbal approach.

🌿From medicine to confection

In 19th-century France, marshmallow took an unexpected turn. Apothecaries and confectioners prepared pâte de guimauve, a soft confection traditionally made from marshmallow root, sugar and egg white. It was eaten not simply as a sweet, but as a soothing confection, particularly for the throat.

Over time, marshmallow root disappeared from the recipe and was replaced by ingredients such as gelatine. The modern marshmallow sweet was born, but it kept the name of the medicinal plant from which the original confection had developed.

🌿Marshmallow today

Today, marshmallow root continues to hold an important place in Western herbalism and naturopathy. The same characteristic that fascinated herbalists centuries ago remains one of the most distinctive things about the plant: its naturally high mucilage content and the soft, silky preparation it produces when the root meets water.

From Ancient Egypt and classical Greece to monastery gardens, French apothecaries and today's herbal cupboard, marshmallow has travelled through an extraordinary amount of human history while remaining recognisably the same humble root.

Net weight: 60 g

Packaged and inspected in France.

Store in a cool, dry place away from light and moisture. Keep the package properly closed after opening to help preserve the quality of the dried root.

60g