Trail mix
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.
Other names
In New Zealand, trail mix is known as scroggin. 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.The term gorp is often used by campers and hikers in North America. Some claim it is an acronym for "good ol' raisins and peanuts." The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 1913 reference to the verb gorp, meaning "to eat greedily".
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
- Peanut butter chips
- Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, apricots, apples, banana chips, sultanas or candied orange peel
- Ginger
- Yogurt chips
- Marshmallows
- 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
- Asia mix : peanuts, sesame sticks, rice crackers, and soybeans.
- Cape Cod trail mix : almonds, cashews, and dried cranberries.
- Hawaiian trail mix : pineapple, mango, banana chips, coconut, and cashews.
- Mexican trail mix : mango, sunflower seeds, pepitas, raisins, and chili powder.
- Monster trail mix : 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.
- Santa Fe trail mix : toasted corn, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, and New Mexico chile powder.