The Strange Reason Graham Crackers Were Invented Involves Abstinence

When most people think of graham crackers, they think of s'mores or pie crust. But back in the 19th century, most people viewed them as a tool to diminish sexual impulses. While it might sound bizarre, this is based on truth. Long before they were used to make s'mores or the crust of a tasty pie, graham crackers served a more religious purpose in the 19th-century America.

Graham crackers were invented by Sylvester Graham, an American Presbyterian minister whose views on food, sex, alcohol, and nutrition would seem a bit extreme to people today. In the 1830's he became involved in the temperance movement, a social movement promoting abstinence from alcohol.

Graham believed that anything that provided physical pleasure excited lust in people, causing societal harm and defying God's wishes. He abstained from sex, alcohol, and other traditional "sins" in the eyes of Christianity. He even took it to the extent of denying any kind of physical pleasure, including sleeping in a cozy bed, having a warm bath, or even indulging in delicious foods. - via Sporked.

To combat this moral decay, Graham started a diet regimen of his own. That's when he created graham crackers and designed them specifically to be as bland as possible. Graham's views ultimately inspired veganism in America as well as the "first anti-sugar crusade." - Refinery29.

He truly believed that these crackers would cure society from masturbation. Eventually, capitalism stepped in and altered the Graham's recipe, adding all the sugary good stuff that turned the graham cracker into what know and love today!