Trail mix

Trail mix or gorp is a type of snack mix, typically a combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts, and sometimes candy, developed as a 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 fat in nuts.

"Gorp" and "Scroggin" redirect here. For other uses, see Gorp (disambiguation) and Scroggins (disambiguation).
For the casual clothing genre, see Gorpcore.
Trail mix
Trail mix made with peanuts, raisins and M&M's
Alternative namesGorp, scroggin, schmogle
TypeSnack
Place of originUnited States
Main ingredientsDried fruit, grains, nuts, sometimes chocolate
Planters-brand trail mix
Studentenfutter (student fodder)

The combination of 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.[1]

Other names

In New Zealand, trail mix is known as "scroggin" or "schmogle".[2] In Australia, the term "scroggin" is used 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 goody-goodies including nuts; but this may be a backronym.[3]

The American word gorp, a term for trail mix often used by hikers in North America, is typically said to be an acronym for "good ol' raisins and peanuts",[4] although the mix may contain M&M's and other nuts. The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 1913 reference to the verb gorp, meaning "to eat greedily", so the "good ol' raisins and peanuts" explanation may be folk etymology or 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 and usually does not include chocolate.

Ingredients

Common ingredients may include:

There are common trail mix varieties, which are commonly made at home, or can commonly be found pre-mixed in supermarkets by numerous producers.[5][6][7]

  • Cape Cod trail mix (sometimes called Northeastern): almonds, cashews, and dried cranberries.
  • Hawaiian trail mix (aka Tropical): pineapple, mango, banana chips, coconut, and cashews.[8]
  • Mexican trail mix (aka Sweet and Spicy): mango, sunflower seeds, pepitas, raisins, and chili powder.[9]
  • Monster trail mix (aka 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.[10][11]
  • Santa Fe trail mix (aka Southwestern or Hatch): toasted corn, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, and New Mexico chile powder.[12][13]
  • Asia mix (sometimes called Zen): peanuts, sesame sticks, rice crackers, and soybeans.
  • Crazy Treat trail mix: M&M's, Sour patch kids, and Jelly Beans.

See also

References
  1. Kephart, Horace (1916). The Book of Camping and Woodcraft. p. 196.
  2. Harper, Laura; Mudd, Tony; Whitfield, Paul (2002). Rough guide to New Zealand. Rough Guides. p. 1023. ISBN 1-85828-896-7 – via Google Books.
  3. "World Wide Words: Gorp". World Wide Words. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  4. Olver, Lynne. "The Food Timeline-history notes: muffins to yogurt". The Food Timeline. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  5. Hirsch, Mia (October 23, 2017). "The 10 Best Target Trail Mix Options, Ranked". Spoon University. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  6. Pollick, Michael (May 20, 2020). "The best trail mix". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  7. Pierre, Danielle St. (June 2, 2022). "12 Best Trail Mix Snacks of 2018 - Healthy Nut and Fruit Trail Mixes". Best Products. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  8. "Tropical Trail Mix Recipe for a Hawaii Road Trip". Silly America. September 22, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  9. "Mexican Spiced Trail Mix". Mel & Anth. September 18, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  10. "Gluten Free Omega 3 Trail Mix Recipe". Marine Corps Nomads. December 8, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  11. "Omega 3 Trail Mixes for Healthy Snacking". Nature's Garden. February 8, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  12. "Santa Fe Trail Mix Recipe". Food.com. September 18, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  13. Sparx, Matt (August 2, 2021). "Here's All the Hatch Chile Flavored Things You Can Get at Sprouts". New Country 99.1. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
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