Enjoying s’mores around the campfire is a tradition camping families have enjoyed for decades. If you own an RV, there is a good chance you and yours have eaten your fair share of s’mores. But where did the gooey, sweet treat actually come from? That depends on who you ask.

A documented history of the s’more is hard to come by. Some fans of the campfire treat attribute its creation to the Girl Scouts back in the late 1920s. Others say the confection dates to the late 1890s and a number of pastries that, while not exactly the same as a s’more, were pretty darned close.

It really doesn’t matter in the end. What matters is that s’mores are great treats perfectly suited for camping. They are as much a part of camping as campfires, nylon tents, and RV skirting.

Funnel Cakes and Marshmallow Roasts

Both chocolate and marshmallow predate modern history. In fact, they go back thousands of years. Chocolate was both a medicine and something used for religious practices. Marshmallow was originally invented as an anti-inflammatory and laxative. Somehow, the two were put together to create a tasty dessert treat.

Late 19th century Victorian funnel cakes were sometimes infused with chocolate, marshmallow, and even jellies. Then there were the Moonpies and Mallowmars introduced at the turn of the 20th century. Both were more or less s’mores in cookie form. Around the same time, a fad involving toasting marshmallows around the campfire became a big hit in New England. It was a social experience perfectly suited for flirtation between the sexes.

S’mores Around the Campfire

Regardless of where you stand on Victorian funnel cakes, Moonpies and Mallowmars, the first ‘official’ recipe for s’mores was published in 1927 handbook for Girl Scouts. The handbook included instructions for making a dozen different types of campfires. As for the recipe itself, it appears as though it was intended to feed sixteen scouts.

The recipe called for roasting a marshmallow, then placing it on top of a chocolate square and sandwiching the whole gooey mess between two graham crackers. It sounds like the perfect treat for a group of kids out in the middle of the woods without mom or dad around to watch what they ate.

These days, s’mores, come in many different forms. You can still make yours the old-fashioned way. Buy the ingredients separately, bring them with you to the campfire, and assemble and eat as you go. If s’mores from scratch are not your thing, you can buy prepackaged s’mores from the grocery store. They are not quite the same, but they will do in a pinch.

A Perfect Marriage of Ingredients

Maybe it is nostalgia; perhaps it’s our national obsession for all things sweet. Either way, s’mores represent a perfect marriage of ingredients. The gooey, sugary marshmallow is a perfect pate for squares of chocolate. Their combined sweetness is tempered by the more neutral graham crackers that hold everything together.

If you are adventurous, you can add different things to your s’mores. We have seen recipes that call for everything from bacon to pieces of fruit. That is the wonderful thing about the s’more. It is very open to individual interpretation.

S’mores are great no matter where they came from. They remind us a lot of our own product: inflatable RV skirting. Like the warm and gooey center of a s’more, AirSkirts RV skirting keeps your motorhome, fifth wheel, or travel trailer warmer and more comfortable by preventing cold air from running underneath. It is the best way to protect your RVs plumbing against cold temperatures.