Althaea (plant) often added to salads or are boiled and fried. The roots and stem also secrete mucilage, which is used to soften the skin, and is used in cosmetic treatments. The Roman poet Horace refers to his own diet in his Odes, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance." The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat. The later French version of the recipe, called "pâte de guimauve" (or "guimauve" for short), included an eggwhite meringue and was often flavored with
Barley sugar saffron for colouring. A modern recipe uses sugar, water, lemon and cream of tartar. A cookbook published in Chicago in 1883 includes a recipe specifically for molded candy: "222. Candy for Christmas Toys, Etc." An 1818 recipe for clear toy candy has been republished. Barley sugar Barley sugar (or barley sugar candy) is a traditional variety of boiled sweet (hard candy), often yellow or orange in colour, which is usually made with an extract of barley, giving it a characteristic taste and colour. The OED describes it as "a confection, usually in twisted sticks, made from sugar, formerly by boiling