trail mix
{{Short description|Type of snack}}
{{Redirect2|Gorp|Scroggin|other uses|Gorp (disambiguation)|and|Scroggins (disambiguation)}}
{{For|the casual clothing genre|Gorpcore}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Trail mix
| image = Gorp.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Trail mix made with peanuts, raisins and M&M's
| alternate_name = Gorp, scroggin, schmogle
| country = United States
| region =
| creator =
| course =
| type = Snack
| served =
| main_ingredient = Dried fruit, grains, nuts, sometimes chocolate
| variations =
| calories =
| other =
}}
Trail mix is a type of snack mix, typically a combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts, and sometimes candy, developed as food to be taken along on hikes. Trail mix is a popular snack food for hikes, because it is lightweight, easy to store, and nutritious, providing a quick energy boost from the carbohydrates in the dried fruit or granola, and sustained energy from fatty nuts.
The combination of fat nuts, raisins and chocolate as a trail snack, dates at least to the 1910s, when outdoorsman Horace Kephart recommended it in his popular camping guide Camping and Woodcraft.{{cite book |last=Kephart |first=Horace |author-link=Horace Kephart |year=1916 |publisher=The Macmillan Company |title=The Book of Camping and Woodcraft |title-link=Camping and Woodcraft |page=[https://archive.org/details/campingwoodcraft00kephrich/page/n199/mode/1up 196] |quote=A handful each of shelled nuts and raisins, with a cake of sweet chocolate, will carry a man far on the trail, or when he has lost it.}}
Other names
In New Zealand, trail mix is known as scroggin or schmogle.{{cite book|year=2002 |title=Rough guide to New Zealand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiIrweIMckQC&q=scroggin%2C%20trail%20mix&pg=PA1023 |page=1023 |first1=Laura |last1=Harper |first2=Tony |last2=Mudd |first3=Paul |last3=Whitfield |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-85828-896-7 |via=Google Books}} In Australia, the term "scroggin" is used almost exclusively, although in more recent years, "trail mix" has been imported into the jargon from the US. Some claim that the name stands for sultanas, carob, raisins, orange peel, grains, glucose, and nuts or alternatively sultanas, chocolate, raisins and other goodies including nuts; but this may be a backronym.{{cite web|url=https://worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gor1.htm|title=World Wide Words: Gorp|publisher=World Wide Words|access-date=2023-04-08}}
The American term gorp is often used by campers and hikers in North America. Some claim it's an acronym for "good ol' raisins and peanuts."{{cite web |url=https://foodtimeline.org/foodfaq2.html#trailmix |title=The Food Timeline-history notes: muffins to yogurt |work=The Food Timeline |first=Lynne |last=Olver |author-link=Lynne Olver |access-date=2023-04-08}} The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 1913 reference to the verb gorp, meaning "to eat greedily," so the acronym may be a backronym.
In Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and several other European countries, trail mix is called student fodder, student oats or student mix in the local languages. It usually does not include chocolate.
Ingredients
Common ingredients may include:
- Breakfast cereals such as granola
- Carob chips
- Chocolate candies, such as chocolate chip, chocolate chunks, and M&M's
- Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, apricots, apples, banana chips, sultanas or candied orange peel
- Ginger (crystallized)
- Yogurt chips
- Nuts, such as almonds or cashews
- Legumes, such as peanuts or baked soybeans.
- Pretzels
- Rye chips
- Seeds, such as pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- Shredded coconut
Popular mixes
There are common trail mix varieties, which are commonly made at home, or can commonly be found pre-mixed in supermarkets by numerous producers.{{cite web | last=Hirsch | first=Mia | title=The 10 Best Target Trail Mix Options, Ranked | website=Spoon University | date=October 23, 2017 | url=https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/10-best-target-trail-mixes-ranked | access-date=July 29, 2022}}{{cite web | last=Pollick | first=Michael | title=The best trail mix | website=Chicago Tribune | date=May 20, 2020 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-kitchen-the-best-trail-mix-20200520-upipsfyhxjfxvpo2xdtoidjogm-story.html | access-date=July 29, 2022}}{{cite web | last=Pierre | first=Danielle St. | title=12 Best Trail Mix Snacks of 2018 - Healthy Nut and Fruit Trail Mixes | website=Best Products | date=June 2, 2022 | url=https://www.bestproducts.com/eats/food/g526/trail-mix-snack-foods/ | access-date=July 29, 2022}}
- Asia mix (sometimes called Zen mix): peanuts, sesame sticks, rice crackers, and soybeans.
- Cape Cod trail mix (sometimes called Northeastern): almonds, cashews, and dried cranberries.
- Hawaiian trail mix (also known as Tropical): pineapple, mango, banana chips, coconut, and cashews.{{cite web | title=Tropical Trail Mix Recipe for a Hawaii Road Trip | website=Silly America | date=September 22, 2019 | url=https://sillyamerica.com/blog/tropical-trail-mix-recipe-hawaii-road-trip/ | access-date=July 29, 2022}}
- Mexican trail mix (also called Sweet and Spicy): mango, sunflower seeds, pepitas, raisins, and chili powder.{{cite web | title=Mexican Spiced Trail Mix | website=Mel & Anth | date=September 18, 2018 | url=https://www.melandanth.com/recipes/mexican-spiced-trail-mix | access-date=July 29, 2022}}
- Monster trail mix (or Peanut Butter and Chocolate): peanut butter chips, peanuts, M&M's, and sometimes either or both raisins and cranberries.
- Omega-3 trail mix: cashews, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon apples pieces.{{cite web | title=Gluten Free Omega 3 Trail Mix Recipe | website=Marine Corps Nomads | date=December 8, 2017 | url=https://marinecorpsnomads.com/2017/12/gluten-free-omega-3-trail-mix-recipe.html | access-date=July 29, 2022}}{{cite web | title=Omega 3 Trail Mixes for Healthy Snacking | website=Nature's Garden | date=February 8, 2021 | url=https://naturesgarden.net/collections/trail-mix | access-date=July 29, 2022}}
- Santa Fe trail mix (also known as Southwestern or Hatch): toasted corn, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, and New Mexico chile powder.{{cite web | title=Santa Fe Trail Mix Recipe | website=Food.com | date=September 18, 2008 | url=https://www.food.com/recipe/santa-fe-trail-mix-325606 | access-date=July 29, 2022}}{{cite web | last=Sparx | first=Matt | title=Here's All the Hatch Chile Flavored Things You Can Get at Sprouts | website=New Country 99.1 | date=August 2, 2021 | url=https://newcountry991.com/heres-all-the-hatch-chile-flavored-things-you-can-get-at-sprouts/ | access-date=July 29, 2022}}
See also
{{portal|Food}}