The graham cracker was invented to stop you from masturbating. Graham crackers and graham flour are both named after a failed minister turned professional reformer named sylvester graham 17951851. He fully supported the movement that sex should be forbidden and decided to invent the graham cracker to help out his fellow. An exclassmate of mine was named graham and was charismatic, hilarious, and obnoxious. Graham is a locational anglosaxon surname, from the lincolnshire town of grantham. This was about 18% of all the recorded grahams in the usa. The oldest recorded birth by the social security administration for the name cracker is monday, march 26th, 1906. The somewhat bleak origin story of the humble graham cracker. Meaning, origin and history of the name graham behind.
Cumberland had the highest population of graham families in 1891. Some sources assert graham himself invented the snack in 1829. I told my dh before his birth we would be calling him graham, and graham only. Even after sylvesters death, graham baked goods remained a breakfast staple. Sylvester graham invented the boring snack staple around 1829. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense denotes ostentation. Originally conceived as part of a diet developed by the reverend sylvester graham of connecticut, the graham cracker was consumed as a part of an. The meaning of the name isnt the nicest for a first name, either. The text indicates that the treat was already popular with both boy scouts and girl scouts. Truly, his origin story reads like a marvelcomicmeetsmorality play. Graham crackers were invented to curb your sexual desires. It is eaten as a snack food, usually honey or cinnamonflavored, and is used as an ingredient in some foods. If you want the real thing more or less, try the health valley or new morning brands, which can be found in health food stores. The seriously unsexy origins of the graham cracker entrepreneur.
In 1891 there were 4,158 graham families living in cumberland. Is it true graham crackers were invented to cure the dread. The cookielike graham cracker of today didnt come about until nabisco bought the brand in the 1890s. The graham cracker as well as the substance from which they are made, graham flour is named for sylvester graham, a 19th century advocate of what some might call clean living. Ashers chocolate company, chocolate covered graham crackers, made from the finest kosher chocolate, small batches, family owned since 1892 7.
Grahams law in physics 1845 is a reference to scottish. Graham was a prime candidate for leadership during this era of righteousness. Today, graham crackers are a mainstay of lunchboxes, afterschool snacks, and even lazy gingerbread houses. In 2018 graham was the 181 st most popular boys name, representing 0.
Nickname for graham baby names forums what to expect. The graham crackers, says the government, are still ok. The peculiar origin of the graham cracker quirky science. Graham cracker definition is a slightly sweet cracker made of whole wheat flour. The premium brand used the traditional recipe and massproduced small square crackers with salt dusted on the top. These sweet, perforated crackers came into existence by the hands of evangelical minister sylvester graham, with the goal of controlling your. The company was best known for their slogan, polly wants a cracker.
Bill gates and other inventors whose names start with g. The towns name, in turn, might come from from grand, meaning gravel, and ham, which means homestead, or as the homestead of granta. The strange and sexual history of the graham cracker huffpost life. Today, graham may be best remembered for his promotion of unsifted and coarsely ground wheat flour. Born in connecticut, graham toured the northeast during the early 1800s and gave controversial lectures about his views on peoples eating and drinking habits and their sexual behavior.
The firm added a hefty dose of sugar and cinnamon and changed the recipe significantly over. There was indeed a graham who lent his name to the graham cracker, and his story will surely change the way you see the snack from now on. The graham cracker is a cookie of sorts, common in the united states, which is typically sweetened with sugar, honey, andor cinnamon. In 1840 there were 395 graham families living in pennsylvania. Our dictionary refers to graham as a dietary reformer, a label that rarely indicates a person who is wellbeloved by the masses. The curious history of graham crackers and corn flakes now i. People nowadays are seekers after roughage and the whole grain in cereals.
The 1800s were the beginning of the industrialization of food and bread in particular was affected by this. This was about 54% of all the recorded grahams in canada. Graham developed this form of flour in the 1830s in hopes of diverting people away from the less healthy refined white flour. Bread moved away from being baked in the home with wholesome ingredients and became the massproduced, nutrientdevoid loaves that are common today. Out of this, came a bland, dry cracker that he named after himself the graham cracker. But the graham cracker we know today would not get grahams blessing. Graham cracker definition of graham cracker by merriam. My name is graham i think it fits me really well and i really like it. Todays graham cracker recipe would likely make sylvester rise from the dead and promptly demand that his name be stripped from the product. This namesake cracker was inspired by the preaching of the somewhat eccentric sylvester graham 17941851 as a young man, sylvester tried many occupations, eventually deciding to be a clergyman. The story behind pacman, a super popular video game of the 80s. Take a wild guess why someone invented the graham cracker.
A specific cracker made of graham flour, developed in the nineteenth century a type of rectangular cracker, usually made of graham flour and sweetened with. Sylvester graham, a minister who lived and preached in the first half of the 19th century, carried on a dietary crusade in favor of whole wheat flour, arguing that to separate the bran from the rest of the wheat berry was against the will of god. The bizarre history of the graham cracker will make you. Ontario had the highest population of graham families in 1911.
Ever stop and wonder where the graham cracker came from. If he only knew that the national biscuit company, later, nabisco, rebranded them as a vessel for chocolate and marshmallows. We call him grahammers, grahamalamadingdong, grahambo, grahambam, grahamie and we already have his mma fighting name picked out, the cracker. Pennsylvania had the highest population of graham families in 1840.
In 1911 there were 4,919 graham families living in ontario. Graham cracker definition, a semisweet cracker, usually rectangular in shape, made chiefly of wholewheat flour. The crackling noise that emanated from the singed biscuits inspired the namecrackersand a bit of yankee ingenuity, as bent set out to convince the world of the products snack food potential. Graham name meaning, origin, popularity, boy names like. Sylvester graham invented the boring snack staple around. A famous bearer was alexander graham bell 18471922, the scottishcanadianamerican inventor who devised the. The crackers were developed in the 1800s by the reverend sylvester graham, a man who believed that a healthy diet was the key to a healthy and moral life.
This namesake cracker was inspired by the preaching of the somewhat eccentric sylvester graham 17941851. From a scottish surname, originally derived from the english place name grantham, which probably meant gravelly homestead in old english. Graham crackers were named for a man who believed unhealthy diet led to sexual excess. The current recipe is a far cry from their original one a mild, unsweetened biscuit made of unbleached flour with. If youre guessing they only wanted to create a delicious treat for the enjoyment of palates everywhere, youd be wrong. This is because it is made from unsifted coarsegrind whole wheat flour. A graham cracker is a sweet flavored cracker made with graham flour that originated in the. However, the original recipe of the cracker was surprisingly designed to be a health food.
The scottish grahams traditionally claimed descent from a chief called grame, but the first authentic bearer of the name was william of graham a norman in the twelfth century. The graham cracker is generally dark tan and has a somewhat gritty texture. Despite the name, most brands of graham cracker today use refined white flour. According to some sources, it comes from an old english word meaning or referring to a grey home, or gravel homestead. It is named after its inventor sylvester graham, a forerunner of the health food movement. Graham crackers were originally invented in the early 1800s by a presbyterian minister by the name of sylvester graham, who introduced this. He learned to live with all the graham cracker jokes. Use for blank tiles max 2 advanced search advanced search. I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers. The graham family name was found in the usa, the uk, canada, and scotland between 1840 and 1920. It is a habitational name, derived from grantham in lincolnshire, england. His graham hotels promoted vegetarian meals and unseasoned foods, being of the belief that condiments would encourage the imbibing of. Definition a slightly sweet cracker made of whole wheat flour.
It also makes me think of graham crackers, unfortunately, and when said the north american way, of gram as in grandma or gram the measurement of weight. The most graham families were found in the usa in 1880. As it goes, a hotheaded new jersey presbyterian minister by the name of rev. From 1880 to 2018 less than 5 people per year have been born with the first name cracker. S since 1910 graham has been the 505 th most popular boys name, representing 0. Graham crackers today are known as crunchy, sweet, and necessary to support a recently roasted smore. This was about 18% of all the recorded grahams in the uk. Shyrocks 1931 paper sylvester graham and the popular health movement, 18301870 is a fine entry point into this history. Well, theyre named after sylvester graham, and trust us, he wouldnt be a. The graham surname is believed to be derived from an english place name which meant either gravelly homestead from the old english grand, meaning gravel, or grey home from the old english grasgham most of the original bearers of this surname came from grantham in lincolnshire, england. The name graham is a boys name of scottish, english origin meaning gravelly homestead well used in england and scotland since the fifties, the smooth and sophisticated graham is catching on here. Audio and video pronunciation of graham brought to you by pronounce names, a website dedicated to helping people pronounce na.
The curious history of graham crackers and corn flakes. Graham cracker history sylvester graham diet background. The first namebrand saltine cracker was released in 1876. Many markets sell graham crackers, and it is also possible to make them at home. The origins of the graham cracker are quite interesting. Do you know why graham crackers are called graham crackers.
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