The history of the S’more

When my son was very young, he referred to S'Mores as "ores," as in, "I really want an ore. Can we make some ores?" We always laughed but apparently the original name is indeed a "Some More," at least according to the 1927 edition of the Girl Scount manual "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts" where the treat was first mentioned. From Smithsonian:

The oldest ingredient in the s’more’s holy trinity is the marshmallow, a sweet that gets its name from a plant called, appropriately enough, the marsh mallow. Marsh mallow, or Althea officinalis, is a plant indigenous to Eurasia and Northern Africa. For thousands of years, the root sap was boiled, strained and sweetened to cure sore throats or simply be eaten as a treat.

The white and puffy modern marshmallow looks much like its ancient ancestor. But for hundreds of years, creation of marshmallows was very time-consuming. Each marshmallow had to be manually poured and molded, and they were a treat that only the wealthy could afford. By the mid-19th century, the process had become mechanized and machines could make them so cheaply that they were included in most penny candy selections.

"Let Us Tell You S’more About America’s Favorite Campfire Treat" (Smithsonian)

image: Kevin Smith/Flickr

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