Granola Greats, Coast to Coast

Granola first was invented in the 1860s (not the 1960s) and eaten by health nuts of the day. It was a severe dish made from nothing but double-baked sheets of whole wheat dough that were supposed to be crumbled into a glass of milk and chilled overnight, becoming flavorless nutrition paste. Granola remained a counter-culture icon through the hippie years, when the Wall Street Journal described it as “something a horse might be fond of … about as chewy as leather – and not quite as tasty.” It has come a long way since then, and while some varieties are indeed drab (and others as outrageously sugary-sweet as a candy bar), there are great granolas to be eaten throughout the land. These are the ones that send us into orbit.