Top 13 British Biscuits: Pick Your Afternoon Tea Partner
United Kingdom - so much special information about this country. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when we say the United Kingdom? Is it the flag, Big Ben and London culture, art, music, many biscuit types, their way of living, the rain that is usually said that falls almost every day? Or maybe the queen and British royal family. Talking about The Royal Family, this is not the main topic of this article but we have to mention it as the most recognizable thing for the UK. The queens' tradition that sticks on for many, many years is that afternoon tea which never goes without a biscuit. Dunking into tea biscuits, is the most usual tradition and ritual for the United Kingdom.
Almost every country has its tradition about biscuits – isn't it somehow magical? Do you like exploring other cultures and their gastronomic culture? For example, somewhere are popular unusual cookies with, we can say, strange ingredients for biscuits like bacon and chili which is not often to be used for baking biscuits but if you are adventurous and brave, you will like them.☺ We will guide you through even 13 biscuits from our magazine which are grounded in British culture for even decades.
Different cultures lead us to different treats tradition, for example in Indonesia you will be welcomed with Indonesian Prawn Crackers – not so usual to use seafood for a snack but the biscuit industry market is so innovative and that is one of the most special things about exploring biscuits' culture - stay with us during this story because we are diving into British culture to the fullest, sit, grab a cookie and your favourite tea and explore UK. In this article we will introduce the most popular biscuits, their history, fun facts, manufacturers and teach you about ingredients for biscuits. Stay with us because we will follow you through a real biscuit British adventure.
Do you even know how the dunking tradition started? Of unusual biscuits, which ones are beloved in the UK?
In Commonwealth countries and Ireland, ''the biscuit'' is a little prepared item that would be called either a "treat" or a "cracker" in the United States and the majority of English-speaking Canada. Scones in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and Ireland are hard and might be flavorful or sweet, for example, chocolate biscuits, digestives, ginger biscuits, rich tea, shortbread, whiskeys, and custard creams.
In Commonwealth countries and Ireland, the expression "treat" normally alludes to just one sort of scone (the better-heated mixture regularly containing chocolate chips or raisins); notwithstanding, it might likewise locally allude to explicit kinds of rolls or pieces of bread. Likewise, a "cracker" alludes just to a slender and dry "biscuit for cheddar".
Dunking biscuits: How and since when?
Starting with a fun fact: Did you know how far does the history of biscuits go and how long have they been imprinted in consumer culture? Every year brings new trends related to biscuits, top trends in 2022 for biscuits are innovations that you could never think of decades ago, but biscuits have been a part of everyday life of all of us since ancient times.
The first biscuit in history: The historical backdrop of the biscuit follows that of sugar and it appears to be that the primary rolls were prepared in Persia during the seventh Century BCE. It wasn't until the Moorish triumph of Spain and the campaigns of the twelfth and thirteenth hundreds of years that Arabic cooking rehearses gradually came to Europe.
Why dunking?
In the British movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, one of the main characters explains the word dunking to her new employer during an interview, while drinking tea: „Dunking is lowering the biscuit into the tea and letting it soak in there and trying to calculate the exact moment before the biscuit dissolves, when you whip it up into your mouth and enjoy the blissful union of biscuits and tea combined.“ Do you agree? Dunking biscuits is an art!
The British say dunking is a tradition and one of the biscuit rituals from one age to another. As you might have effectively seen, it isn't just with regards to staying a bread roll into a hot beverage until it gets soaked. Dunking is unadulterated pure art and what isolates some tea from different drinks.
English biscuits tradition
In the United States and a few pieces of English Canada, the "biscuit" is a fast bread, fairly like a scone, and typically unsweetened. Raising is accomplished using preparing powder or when utilizing buttermilk, heating pop.
Rolls are normally alluded to as either "heating powder scones" or "buttermilk bread rolls" if buttermilk is utilized as opposed to draining as a fluid. A Southern territorial variety utilizing the expression "beaten bread" (or in New England "ocean scone") is nearer to hardtack than delicate mixture rolls.
The modern-day contrast within the English dialect regarding the word ''biscuit'' is given by British cookery writer Elizabeth David in English Bread and Yeast Cookery within the chapter ''Yeast Buns and Little Tea Cakes'' and segment ''Soft biscuits''.
The Ancient French word bescuit is determined from the Latin words bis (twice) and coquere, coctus (to cook, cooked) and consequently it stands for ''twice-cooked''.
Typically, biscuits were initially cooked in a twofold handle: to begin with heated, and after that dried out in a moderate oven. This term was then adapted to English within the 14th century amid the Center Ages, within the Center English word bisquite – meaning twice-baked.
Connection during hard times
In these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditions and memories are what bring us closer. The pandemic has greatly changed the biscuit industry, which has faced new challenges in the market, but the love for biscuits has remained stronger than ever because these short rituals unite us, and judging by the trends for 2021, nostalgic is a trend. in uncertain times we like to turn to the familiar, to snuggle into the safety of precious scents that make you feel good. Staying at home with our loved ones, keeping up with hard times also opened up a question of past times where we enjoyed some desserts we forgot about, so if you maybe forgot about a certain biscuit - let's bring the memories back. Talking about nostalgia and childhood, we bet Petit Beurre biscuits bring you childhood memories, even though we ''travelled'' to France for a second, let's land in the UK and move on to British biscuits, get ready!
The survey: Which British biscuits are the most popular?
The Mirror.uk reported about a survey that was made to find out which British biscuits are the most popular. The classic Chocolate digestive biscuit has been topped king of the biscuit tins, a study has disclosed.
More than 2 thirds of Brits aforesaid it had been their afternoon tea treat of alternative with butter cookie in second place and Chocolate Fingers third.
Dunking favorites Rich Tea and HobNobs didn't create the highest ten whereas chocoholics place Chocolate HobNobs, Joppa Cakes and chocolate candy chip covered Maryland Cookies before them.
According to the analysis, it's the younger people UN agency like to dunk with twenty-third enjoying dipping their biscuit in a very cupper compared with simply Martinmas of the over 60s.
Top 5 favorite British biscuits:
- Chocolate Digestives
- Shortbread
- Chocolate fingers
- Jaffa Cakes
- Chocolate Hobnobs
Current trends: Last years' top favourites
What is the most popular biscuit in the UK 2021?
HERE are the UK's top 20 favourite biscuits, according to a study of 2,000 people by Perspectus Global:
- Chocolate Digestive 69%
- Shortbread 61%
- Chocolate Finger 58%
- Jaffa Cake 56%
- Chocolate Hob Nob 55%
- Custard Cream 53%
- Jammie Dodger 51%
- Maryland Cookie 49
So, we can see that all time favs are also keeping their trend even through 2021 which is magical actually, how good those biscuits have to be in order to stay on the throne for years? Let's find out...
The list of top British biscuits - which one would you choose?
Bourbon biscuit
Let's start with an unusual fact for a biscuit... We all know that a man landed on the moon – but the same is with a biscuit! This beloved treat also made it to the moon and the regard goes to Bourbon biscuit!
The bourbon biscuit is an oblong biscuit sandwich made with a chocolate buttercream filling made from two chocolate-flavored biscuits. A popular tea accompaniment, the bourbon in The Complete Collection of Biscuit Types is a favorite biscuit among many others.
About biscuits with bourbon
A sandwich-style bread comprising two slightly rectangular dull chocolate-seasoned scones with a filling of chocolate buttercream is the Bourbon biscuit. Bourbon cookies are carefully baked to a classic recipe with a smooth chocolate filling).
What does it have to do with the moon?
Proudly, the bourbon stands at being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin.
Talking about British biscuits and dunking into tea tradition, Bourbon biscui was chosen to be the fifth most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom for dunking into tea.
According to an overview of 3,000 individuals, the scone is the best to dunk into some tea, beating Rich Tea, which came in second. Two of McVitie's other top-dealers HobNobs (about which you will hear later) and digestives came third and fourth.
Chocolate digestives won because their coating protected them from the effects of the hot tea.
By: Daniele Carotenuto bourbon biscuits/shutterstock.com
2. Digestives
Now that we have mentioned them – let's move on to Digestive biscuits. A digestive biscuit, now and again depicted as a sweet-dinner scone, is a semi-sweet roll that began in Scotland. The digestive was first evolved in 1839 by two Scottish specialists to help digestion.
The expression "digestive" is obtained from the conviction that they had acid neutralizer properties because of the utilization of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. Historically, a few makers utilized diastatic malt concentrate to "digest" a portion of the starch that existed in flour preceding preparing.
McVitie's company is well-known for producing digestive biscuits, first manufactured in 1892. The UK consumption of Digestive biscuits is record-breaking: with 6 million consumed each day, representing 70 each second.
How many types of biscuits do McVities make?
McVitie's digestive biscuits, or digestives, come in four versions—plain, or coated with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate plus caramel.
News about McVities Company
According to media, McVities site in Tollcross, Glasgow will close in 2022... New year is overwhelmed with new challenges, and this is the unfortunate outcome. "Pladis is home to some of Britain’s best loved brands which have been part of the fabric of our society for nearly two hundred years. In order to protect them for generations to come, we must take steps to address excess capacity in the UK.” - said Pladis UK director David Murray for DailyRecord. The closure of McVitie's factory in Glasgow is to proceed after a proposal to save the site was rejected. ... It included plans to build a new factory near the Tollcross site. However, Pladis said the proposal was not "viable", and the factory is now expected to cease operations in the second half of 2022.
3. Hobnobs biscuits
After digestives, we are moving on to something similar, yet so different. Ever wondered why hobnobs are named so? Maybe you're looking for alternatives to digestives? Prefer home-cooking to brands? These biscuits are for you!
The brand name of a commercial biscuit is Hobnobs biscuits. Similar to a flapjack-digestive biscuit hybrid, they are made from rolled oats and jumbo oats, and they are among the most popular British biscuits. McVitie introduced Hobnobs in 1985 and a variant of milk chocolate in 1987.
There is quite a similarity between a digestive and a hobnob, but the hobnob uses rolled oats and white self-raising flour, while the digestive ingredients for biscuits require wholemeal flour for biscuits and baking powder. Two Scottish doctors developed digestives in the 1830s to create a biscuit that could support digestion, hence the name 'Digestive'.
What does that mean ''hobnobs''?
You see, “hobnob” is derived from the term hob and nob (1756) which means: “to toast each other by turns, to buy alternate rounds of drinks”. Hob and nob is in itself an alteration of the phrase hab nab, which means: “to have or have not, hit or miss”. If we go even further, hab nab is an alteration of habban, nabban which means: “to take or not take” which was a way of inviting someone to drinking. In the end hobnob means: “to drink to each other”. Another meaning of Hobnobs that the English use is to lobby in the high social class.
Picture source: By Moving Moment/Shutterstock.com
4. Nice biscuits
A Nice biscuit is a plain or coconut-enhanced bread. It is rectangular fit as a fiddle, with adjusted knocks on the edges, and gently secured with a dissipating of enormous sugar precious stones, regularly with "Decent" engraved on top in sans-serif capital letters. A Nice biscuit was first made in an Army and Navy Co-usable Society value list in 1895. English organization Huntley and Palmers made a Nice bread as right on time as 1904.
Do you know how to pronounce Nice biscuit?
It seems like an easy question, right? But we bet you'd be wrong... Were your options nice or niece are your options - then wonder no longer: biscuit makers Arnotts responded to the question on Twitter, explaining: "Nice biscuits were named after the city in the South of France and pronounced the same as that city. They have been part of the Arnott's range since 1922."
You may ask yourself... Are nice biscuits vegan?
Are Nice biscuits vegan? Some brands of Nice biscuits are suitable for vegans, but others contain milk. About half of all brands of Nice biscuits are vegan-friendly in the UK, so it's important to always read the ingredients before you eat it.
5. Viennese whirls
Viennese whirls are British biscuits consisting of soft pastries with shortbread wrapped in a swirling shape, which are said to be inspired by Austrian pastry chefs, albeit completely unrelated. The most common version in the UK was popularized by Mr. Kipling and consists of two pastries smeared with whipped cream and jam.
For a while people mistook them for Empire biscuits. Empire biscuits are also a type of a sandwich biscuit, the difference being that icing comes on top.
Popular brands and manufacturers
Fox's – English brand
Mr. Kipling – part of A Premier foods company
Lyons – part of Burton's Biscuit co
Border Biscuits Ltd – English brand
Balance while eating biscuits: Pointing out nutritional values
If you’re reading this article, we don’t even have to ask - we already know you’re a big cookie lover. What all cookie lovers have a hard time dealing with is balance - how to eat cookies and stay fit? The trend in the biscuit industry for a long time has been trendy plant-based proteins as well as increasing the protein ingredients in each biscuit, which would make them healthier and more nutritionally valuable.
Viennese whirls health pros and cons
Viennese whirls contain vitamin A and vitamin D, which are good for bones. They don't contain any trans fats nor chemical raising agents. However, one Viennese whirl can contain up to a third of the daily guideline intake of saturates for women.
6. Jammie Dodgers: Dr.Who's favourite biscuit
Jammie Dodgers is a popular British biscuit, made with a raspberry or strawberry flavored jam filling made from shortbread. Burton's Biscuit Company currently manufactures them at its factory in Llantarnam. In 2009, Jammie Dodgers was the UK's most successful sweet biscuit brand for children, with adults eating 40 percent of the year's sales.
There are other varieties and flavors of Jammie Dodgers like lemon, toffee, orange, chocolate, and "berry blast".
Fun fact about Jammie Dodgers biscuits
The Jammie Dodgers are very popular and they are the favourite snack food of singer Labrinth and Dr. Who. We have Math Smith, the 11th doctor, to thank for that. The biscuit was prominently mentioned in the 2010 episode of the show, titled, Victory of the Daleks. In the same series, the Doctor has also used a pack of Jammie Dodgers to settle the dispute between the Dead Rabbit Gang and the Pug Ugly gang. Jammie Dodgers were also used as the favorite biscuits of Jonny Keogh in the BBC sitcome titled, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
7. Shortbread biscuits
Shortbread biscuits are sweet, crumbly biscuits originated in Scotland in the 16th century when butter became commonly used. If you want to make these, you will need only three ingredients for biscuits: white sugar, butter, wheat flour – so simple, right? Mix the ingredients and they are ready for the biscuit baking oven!
They have 'a reward' to be one of the oldest biscuits ever!
Shortbread is a not actually bread, it's a sweet, crumbly biscuit originated in Scotland in the 16th century when butter became commonly used. Today they are a popular treat all over the world and in The Complete Collection of Biscuit Types.
The origin of shortbread dates back to the 12th century and began life as a biscuit bread biscuits made from leftover bread dough often sweetened and baked into the oven and formed a tough, dry rusk. Such an easy-to-make biscuit, simple but yet so special. If you want to know, we dedicated the whole article about Shortbread, where you can find why it is said that shortbread biscuits bring luck to brides.
Since healthy biscuits are 'a thing' in biscuit industry trends for 2022, even according to Kerry’s Global Taste Charts for 2022 predict the top new flavours for the coming year, as well as profiling mainstream and key tastes. Health is always in trend, more and more through years, let us introduce you to healthy version of shortbread.
8. Ginger Nut Biscuits: Healthy and aromatic
Ginger Biscuits are British biscuits that have ginger as their essential ingredient. Ginger scone ought not to be confused with gingerbread, as the previous is a harsh biscuit, though the last is smoother and somewhat milder and more bread-like.
Ginger rolls are otherwise called ginger nuts, yet peppernuts are not the equivalent. The peppernuts are practically similar to gingerbread once more.
In the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Isle of Man, and in pretty much all aspects of the British Empire, ginger biscuits are mainstream as a dunkie scone or dunkable treat. Since the 1840s, ginger nuts have been delighted in Britain and were Huntley and Palmers' smash hit treats from 1933 until the finish of World War II. Huntley and Palmers are viewed as one of the most acclaimed British bread firms making ginger nuts monetarily.
9. Malted Milk Biscuits
The Malted Milk biscuit is a kind of biscuit, first created by Elkes Biscuits of Uttoxeter (presently claimed by Fox's Biscuits) in 1924. They are named after their malt flavoring and milk content. The name malted milk originates from the malt flavoring – regularly gave as grain malt remove – which is joined with milk powder inside the fixings list.
A few makers energize their malted milk bread rolls by covering a large portion of the scone with a delectable layer of chocolate. Return a bit and you'll discover that the staple that is currently malted milk was made by London drug specialist James Horlick. His concept of utilizing a malt-based wholesome enhancement for newborn children has advanced into the staple that we use now. They are also called cow biscuits.
10. Cadbury's Fingers
Tasty biscuits coated in milk chocolate are Cadbury's fingers. Great for sharing or eating on the go with family and friends. A wonderful addition to the decoration of cooking or cake. Fingers are made in the United Kingdom by Burton's Biscuit Company and distributed by Cadbury UK and are sold in markets around the world, including North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Cadbury's fingers have also been sold in Australia since March 2013, with three different varieties available.
Fingers are sold in rectangular boxes enclosed in a cellophane-sealed compartmented plastic tray. There are also double-size boxes available that contain two trays. Occasionally, promotional boxes containing three trays are also available. Boxes hold 24 fingers on average.
In 1951, the new form of Cadbury Fingers was introduced.
11. Jaffa Cake
Jaffa Cakes are biscuit-sized cakes launched in the UK in 1927 by McVitie and Price and named after oranges from Jaffa. McVitie's did not register the name "Jaffa Cakes" as a trademark, other biscuit manufacturers and supermarkets throughout the world have made similar products under the same name.
While Jaffa cakes are typically orange flavor, limited-edition flavors such as lemon-and-lime, strawberry, and blackcurrant were available. In early 2020, McVities introduced limited-edition Jaffa cakes with pineapple flavor.
12. Garibaldi biscuits
A semi-sweet, currant-containing scone. It is heated in strips and may, in the wake of cooling, be cut into singular rolls. It is known as 'Garibaldi' in Europe. This biscuit gives various issues of creation, which must be defeated to deliver a decent item.
The Garibaldi biscuit was named after the Italian general and head of the battle to bind together Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi. In 1854, Garibaldi made a popular visit to South Shields in England. Following the enrollment of Jonathan Carr, one of Carlisle's extraordinary bread creators, the roll was first delivered by the Bermondsey scone organization Peek Freans in 1861.
Garibaldi biscuits generally come in four segments of five scones every when purchased in markets in the UK (under a few brands, all fundamentally the same as). They have a brilliant earthy colored, coated outside and a respectively sweet baked good, however, the crushed organic product layer that offers ascend to the everyday names of fly sandwiches, fly memorial parks, dead fly scones, or crushed fly rolls is their characterizing trademark because the crushed organic product takes after crushed flies.
>Garibaldi Biscuits: Kids and Adults Love them Equally
13. Last but not the least: The most dunkable biscuit
Rich Tea is a variety of sweet biscuit whose ingredients, in general, include wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, and malt extract. These biscuits are fashionable in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
That Rich Tea is perhaps the best scone around, was demonstrated by the way that it was the central segment utilized in one of the many wedding cakes during the pre-marriage ceremony of British Prince William and Kate Middleton.
It goes delicate without loss of shape and when one dunks it, it won't effectively fall into the tea, and there is fairly what some way or another feels like some wet sand in the scone's surface that has been dried out however is somewhat lovely. Perhaps the most popular producer in the United Kingdom is McVitie's; however, all primary markets presently sell their own-image of similar scones. These bread rolls are also sold as Rich tea Creams and a finger assortment with vanilla cream sandwiched between 2 scones.
One extra: ''TV star'' biscuit
In our list of top 13 cookies, we also mention one "extra" who simply could not be left out of the list, given that he is a real TV star. There are many cookies that have made their way to TV and are famous precisely because they are mentioned in famous TV shows - so let's just take the example of Cookie Monster which is a favorite children's character for decades, or a newer example of how treat marked the new hit series Squid Game - dalgona cookies. This "extra biscuit" we are talking about dates back to a long-established cartoon loved by all children. Are you a fan of the Pink Panther series of shows and movies? Are you searching for the so-called “pink diamond”? You’re in the right place!
The Pink Panther wafers represent a brand of pink wafers dispersed by Asvina from Middlesex, after the previous wholesaler Rivington Biscuits lost everything. Try not to allow the wafers' tone to trick you, nonetheless. Since these wafers are pink, many individuals come to accept that they taste like strawberries, which is reasonable. Since colors are usually representing the flavour - what will we eat - colors will make a decision for us. Even though the Pink Panther wafers are vanilla flavoured, their packaging is pink to make it more ''TV cartoon looking alike''.
Now that you can easily pick your afternoon tea partner: Learn how to dunk!
Dunking biscuits is a three-step process, say the experts.
Regular biscuit (Digestive, Butter Crackers)
- Dunk half the biscuit, suck/eat that dunked section
- Dunk half of the remaining piece (a quarter of the original biscuit), and eat that
- Dunk the final triangle of the biscuit, whilst pinching one corner.
Chocolate-covered biscuit
- Dunk half the biscuit
- Lick off the chocolate at each stage
- Finally eat the biscuit underneath
Another dunking partner: Warm cup of your beloved drink
Now that we have as many as 13 types of biscuits on the tray to choose from, we must also choose a drink that will make an ideal dunking combination. Let us tell you right away, you will not go wrong with any hot drink, the taste is always irresistible.
Remembering childhood memories: Cookies and milk
This is something we have always looked forward to as children, and going back to the moments of carefreeness we had when we were children is always a good idea. Treat yourself to one such afternoon! Milk goes great with classic chocolate biscuits, but it just doesn’t really seem suitable for biscuits that contain lemon and lime, or poppy seeds.
Like them with your espresso?
The vast majority can't envision their mornings without some espresso, and many like to partake in this warm drink with a biscuit. Same difference either way. In motion pictures, you frequently see individuals eating doughnuts or bagels with espresso, yet we accept nothing beats an old fashioned bread roll dunked in a hot dark drink. Update your morning meal with cookies like Caramel Biscuit, or HobNobs. Breakfast Biscuits are turning out to be increasingly well known and they are an incredible method for eating chocolate promptly toward the beginning of the day.
How to choose just one?
Well, you don't have to, enjoy yourself and eat all of them (but, of course, not at once). Even though staying in shape while eating biscuits is possible, balance is the key like with everything in life. We hope we introduced you to the most famous British biscuits and that you've learned something new - like landing on the moon with biscuits... Which one is your favourite? Did you try to bake any? Send us your comments and photos at contact@biscuitpeople.com, we are waiting for you!
Now, enjoy your afternoon tea!
TechTalks discussion
Garibaldi Biscuit
We are preparing ourselves to produce Garibaldi biscuits. As you know, in this product raisins or sultanas enter the dough and then the baking process is done. My question is, both technically (cutter mold) and qualitatively, do raisins need to be preheated?
Checking Problem
How to resolved the checking problem in rotary molded(Digestive) biscuit
Shortbread production machinery supplier
Can you advise me on shortbread production machinery supplier, but especially focus on shortbread..
Imperfection in shortbread cookies using rotary cookie machine
We recently bought a rotary molder and started making shortbread cookies. We have several rollers and some are really forgiving and make great cookies with different recipes but the one we need to use is not forgiving at all and we cannot have 100% of good-looking cookies (75% at best). They either have bits of dough missing or have very tiny holes which makes a bad-looking cookie once baked, I don't know if it is what you call blisters. We are probably doing something wrong either with the recipe, the mixing, resting or dough temperature, and or baking. I would really appreciate any advice or guidelines to follow so can make perfect cookies.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter by registering so that you do not miss any of our articles and insights.
If you have a technical question join the TechTalks discussion.
If you would like to discuss advertising your products: cookies/biscuits, ingredients or equipment contact us:
Contact@biscuitpeople.com
Leading image: By chrisbrignell/shutterstock.com
