August 10: Happy National S’mores Day!

3 min read

Originally written on August 10, 2021, updated 2022

Graham crackers, melted chocolate and sticky toasted marshmallows, all in one little sandwich: S’mores are the one of the most popular North American treats, and it is estimated that over 90 million pounds of marshmallows are toasted over a fire there each year.
It is also estimated that 50 percent of marshmallows bought during the summer are used for s’mores!
Never tried them?
Then S’mores Day is the perfect day to get started.
And even for those people who have tried them, there is no reason to pass up the opportunity to enjoy them again!

S’more might sound like it was named after a person or the city where the snack began. But, if many people might think all names means something special, it really doesn’t.
It’s actually the combination of the two words in the phrase “some more”, which is not strange considering how delicious they are.
The first S’more recipe can be found in a book full of recipes that was published in “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts” by the Campfire Marshmallows company in the early 1920s.
This interesting little piece of information reveals the fact that this treat had already been popular with both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for some time prior to this.
By 1968, the following recipe was provided:
“place a square of milk chocolate on a graham cracker, toast a marshmallow to golden perfection and place it gently on top of the chocolate, then place a second graham cracker on top of the toasted marshmallow and squeeze. Once this has been eaten, there’s no doubt that everyone will want “s’more”. ”
In any case, in answer to accusations that they are extremely high in sugar and fat and are not particularly healthy for children or adults, the Outing Activities and Winter Sports Guide stated simply that “Camping trips are supposed to be fun. Why not relax, enjoy yourself, and have s’more?”

S’mores Day celebrated on this day, August 10 (and don’t ask me why), was created several years ago to celebrate this gooey delight, and is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association.
Celebrating S’mores Day can be super simple.
As usual, it’s better to make your own, and they are incredibly simple to make.
Of course it would be best to make them around a campfire in the woods while telling ghost stories like the treat’s creators did almost 100 years ago, so why not planning a camping trip in the near future?
Although S’mores are absolutely delicious on their own, it’s also possible to get creative with them by using different ingredients.
Usually the basic recipe stays the same but you can added something like Peanut Butter, a slice of banana, strawberry, raspberry jam or Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Apparently they are consumed more in Grand Rapids, Michigan than any other place in the U.S.
The largest s’more was recently built at Deer Run Camping Resort in Gardeners Pensylvania, and weighed more that 120 kg!
Interestingly, the so-called graham cracker was invented by a presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham in 1829 in Bound Brook, New Jersey. He originally invented the health food as part of a diet to help suppress “unhealthy carnal urges”.