why are marshmallows called marshmallows and not white puffs or something?

Answer 1

Marshmallow candy dates back to ancient Egypt where it was a honey-based candy flavored and thickened with the sap of the root of the Marsh-Mallow plant (althea officinalis). Marsh-Mallow grows in salt marshes and on banks near large bodies of water. It is common in the eastern United States.

Until the mid 1800's, marshmallow candy was made using the sap of the Marsh-Mallow plant. Gelatin replaces the sap in the modern recipes.

Answer 2

The traditional recipe for marshmallows used an extract from the root of the marshmallow plant. Today we use gelatin to make them puffy.