Smores/S'mores

Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson

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When did S'mores become a camping thing? People my age, or close to it, talk about S'mores as if they were always an integral part of camping. Yet, growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I did a whole lot of camping, including in the Boy Scouts, and I first heard of S'mores on television as an adult. We roasted marshmallows, but never combined them with Graham Crackers or chocolate. Was it television, the Graham Cracker folks, or a combination of the two who invented S'mores and then inserted them into the collective memories of generations of people? For me, camping involved roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on a stick, but not the same stick, or at least not at the same time, and I never even liked Graham Crackers and am not crazy about chocolate.
 
I don't know when I first encountered them, but I don't particularly care for them, nor do I like roasted marshmallows. The wife and grandkids do s'mores on the patio out back, but I would rather have just the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers separately and not heated. I, too, have been camping since I was about 8 years old or so.
 
I don’t think that i have ever even tasted one. Growing up, we would have a fire when we went camping and fishing, and roasted hot dogs, and then marshmallows for dessert. Sometimes, at home in the summer , my mom would let me invite friends over and make a small fire out back (it was legal back then) , and we roasted hot dogs and ate marshmallows afterwards.

I seldom ate graham crackers at all growing up, and still do not eat them, and never with marshmallows and chocolate on them. I love chocolate though, so I probably would like a S’Mores if I ever had one.
Even when my kids were growing up, I don’t remember ever hearing about them, so I am not sure where i first came across the name.
 
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I'm guessing that S'mores was a marketing gimmick by whoever produces Graham Crackers. The marshmallow folks didn't need it because campers were already toasting marshmallows, and I don't think the chocolate people needed it, but no one had a good reason to eat Graham Crackers.
 
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Ken Anderson said:
When did S'mores become a camping thing? People my age, or close to it, talk about S'mores as if they were always an integral part of camping. Yet, growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I did a whole lot of camping, including in the Boy Scouts, and I first heard of S'mores on television as an adult. We roasted marshmallows, but never combined them with Graham Crackers or chocolate. Was it television, the Graham Cracker folks, or a combination of the two who invented S'mores and then inserted them into the collective memories of generations of people? For me, camping involved roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on a stick, but not the same stick, or at least not at the same time, and I never even liked Graham Crackers and am not crazy about chocolate.
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When did Smores become a camping thing? 1927 and the recipe was in the 1927 Girl Scout guide, Tramping and Trailing.

I remember making Smores, starting at age 3. One of the girls that was with her dad, a seasonal Vaquero, on my grandpas ranch near the Rio Grande, taught me the art of making fine Smores, when I visited one summer. She sprinklered the toasted marshmallow with cinnamon, for a Spanish twist, so I still do that or did last time I had Smores, two years ago.

S'mores was originally "some more." I only recently learned that, but I am unwilling to twist my mouth to say it as s'more, so it is simply smores for me. Also, back in those days, Girl Scouts hiking up to camp, were known as tramps. Once at camp, I suppose they were known as camp tramps, but I have no confirmation of that.

Had you been confused and identified as a girl @Ken Anderson and looked cute in a Brownie uniform, then you would have known about Smores, but alas, times were different then, so no smores for boys.

Tramping-and-Trailing-with-the-Girl-Scouts-206x289-185146148.jpg
 
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Banana boats were/are bananas with a hollow made down the length that is filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, wrapped in foil and grilled. They are usually eaten with a spoon.
 
Don Alaska said:
Banana boats were/are bananas with a hollow made down the length that is filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, wrapped in foil and grilled. They are usually eaten with a spoon.
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Thanks! Now I remember. It was about 40 years ago, after a fall roundup. One of the ranchers kids brought bananas, sliced them open, and put in chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrapped them in foil, and pushed them back and forth on the grill over the campfire for a few minutes. They were very good with black cowboy coffee. Nice breakfast desert after eating campfire eggs and beef sausage.
 
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