Today’s spotlight is on a fireside favorite – S’mores.

S’mores are a confection made of toasted marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. They are a traditional camping snack that are popular in the United States and Canada. S’mores are traditionally cooked over a campfire and warmed over an open flame until melted and gooey.

History.

As far as foods go s’mores are relativity modern.

The first recorded version of the s’mores recipe can be found in the Girl Scouts of America handbook, published in 1927. This recipe has been largely considered as the official introduction of the s’more into popular culture.

There are a few people who are credited with coming up with the name “s’mores”:

A 1920s US cookbook is where the first as a recipe called “Graham Cracker Sandwich” appeared in the 1920s. The first mention of the treat was in a 1927 edition of the Girl Scout manual “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”. The treat was originally called “Some More” in a nod to its addictive qualities. Recipes for “some mores” appeared in Girl Scout publications until at least 1971.

Loretta Scott Crew (a troop leader) is credited with writing the first s’mores recipe (then known as Some Mores) and creating the name in the Girl Scout guidebook. The recipe called for 16 graham crackers, eight bars of chocolate broken in two, and 16 marshmallows. Instructions were to toast the marshmallows over coals to a crisp and gooey state and put them inside a graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich. Regardless of her credit, the recipe may have existed previously.

William Henry Gibson is credited with coining the term “s’more” in his 1938 guidebook “Recreational Programs for Summer Camps”. The name was a contraction slang reducing “Some More” to s’more.

In 1956 the s’more original recipe was leaked by a global magazine that is how s’more received its national recognition. The magazine described s’more as a sandwich of two graham crackers, toasted marshmallows and ½ chocolate bar, thus the modern-day s’more was born.

Here’s some information about the history of s’mores:

• The treat was originally called “Some More” in a nod to its addictive qualities.
• The treat was already popular with both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the early 1920s.
• The recipe is considered the official introduction of s’mores into popular culture.
• While the exact origin of s’mores is unknown, the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the Girl Scouts of America handbook.

S’mores have made their way into popular culture by appearing in films and TV shows such as Toy Story 2, The Big Bang Theory, and Melissa & Joey. The sticky campfire treat has also inspired a range of spin-offs.

 

Here are some fun facts about s’mores:

• The word “s’more” officially became a word in 1974 in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
• The “S’MORE” trademark was filed on June 30, 1983.
• The largest s’more ever made weighed over 200 pounds.
• The graham cracker was invented in 1829 by Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister in New Jersey.
• The earliest evidence of marshmallows dates back to around 2000 BC.
• In the 1900s, marshmallows were being sold as penny candies in tiny tins.
• Folklore suggests that the name “s’more” came from kids chanting “Gimme some more!” after eating one.
• 87% of Americans have tried a s’more.
• 31% of Americans make s’mores on a grill.
• You don’t need a campfire to make s’mores.

 

Here are some estimates for how many s’mores are consumed annually:

• 50 million s’mores are estimated to be consumed in the United States each year.
• 746 million s’mores can be made from the 90 million pounds of marshmallows Americans buy each year.
• 3 million s’mores are estimated to be consumed each summer by The Hershey Company
• 50% of marshmallows sold are roasted for s’mores during the summer.
• Half of the 90 million marshmallows sold annually are used to make s’mores.

 

National S’mores Day is celebrated annually on August 10 to honor the iconic campfire treat. So why not fire up the stove, campfire or any appropriate heat source and prepare yourself a delicious s’more. Let us know your favorite first s’more memory.