Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Marshmallow Drops
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Dissolve the gum arabic in the water and strain to remove any specks.
Make the mixture
Place the solution in a pot over medium heat and add the sugar.
Stir continuously until the mixture reaches a honey-like consistency.
Gradually add the beaten egg whites, stirring until the mixture is thin and no longer sticks to your fingers.
Flavor with tincture of marshmallow to your liking.
Set and cut
Pour the mixture into a lightly starch-dusted vessel and let it cool.
Once cool, cut into squares and dust with more starch.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Gum arabic
- Thickens the syrup and gives the finished drops a chewy, stable body.
- Egg whites
- Whip into the mixture to add aeration and a light, airy texture.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the mixture reach a thick, honey-like consistency.
- Tincture of marshmallow
- Provides the characteristic marshmallow aroma and flavor.
The step that matters
Gradually adding the egg whites and stirring until thin. Adding the whites slowly and stirring continuously lets them blend evenly into the hot syrup without clumping. Judging when the mixture is thin enough matters, since it must be fluid enough to pour but still hold its shape as it sets.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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