History of S'mores

The History of S’mores

This week we are going to look at a childhood favorite, s’mores. I am going to assume that we all know what a s’more is, what they are typically made of, and how they are made. Today we are going to learn more about the history of my favorite dessert. The dessert, is not incredibly old; the first publication of s’mores—originally “Some Mores”—was in 1927 in the book, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. The ingredients, however, have a greater history.

Graham Crackers

Graham crackers were the result of Sylvester Graham’s beliefs on food and its connections to people’s actions. Graham was a Presbyterian minister who lived and worked during the first half of the 19th century. To greatly condense his story, he thought that meats, spices and alcohol were bad because they might encourage a more stimulating and “spicy” lifestyle, while fruits, vegetables and water were less likely to cause such temptations. In 1829, he created graham cracker, which at the time were bland and sugarless, to curb sexual desires.

For more information about Graham’s ideas check out Sylvester Graham and Antebellum Diet Reform.

Today, this snack has changed. Stores now sell cinnamon, honey and chocolate versions of graham crackers. Much of the recipe has not changed, other than it now is made with sugar and flavorings. This simple and crunchy snack is the perfect base for our dessert.

Chocolate

This ingredient is extremely old, and its history travels back and forth from the Americas and Europe. The earliest traces of the cacao plant have been dated to be over 5000 years old and were found in South America. The cacao plant is naturally found in Central and South America where it held a great importance in Aztec and Mayan cultures, both using it to create a spiced beverage, which was little like the sweet treat we enjoy today. Eventually, Spanish conquerors got their hands on chocolate and took it to Europe, where its enjoyment rapidly spread to many countries, and eventually chocolate made its return to the Americas in 1641. After many innovations in the processing of chocolate, the first chocolate bar was made in the mid 1800s.

Whenever I think of making s’mores, I think of using a particular type of chocolate: Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars, which were first produced in the 1890s. Today, packs of these chocolate bars are packaged and marketed for s’mores.

Much of the information about chocolate came from History of Chocolate and Chocolate Facts, Effects & History.

Marshmallows

Like the other two ingredients, marshmallows have gone through many changes over the years. This treat was originally made from the marsh mallow plant. During the food’s history, it has been used as a treat enjoyed by Ancient Egyptians, and has been used to soothe sore throats. In the 1800s, the French transformed it into a dessert and sold it as a candy. Eventually gelatin replaced the marsh mallow root and other ingredients. In the 1940s, an extrusion process was developed which helped lead to the mass production of marshmallows. When the first s’mores recipe was published, they were still being made by hand.

For more information about marshmallow’s history, uses and ingredients check out these links:

https://www.candyusa.com/candy-types/marshmallows/

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Marshmallow.html

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/01/marshmallows-were-originally-made-from-the-sap-of-the-marshmallow-plant/



If you still want to know how s’mores came to be, don’t worry I’ll have s’more information for you! (My sincerest apologies for that statement)