Digestives, a type of sweet biscuit first made in Scotland in the late 18th century, were marketed as good for digestion due to the inclusion of baking soda. They remain popular in the UK and Ireland, and can be compared to graham crackers in the US. They are used in recipes for crusts and come in a variety of flavors.
Digestives, also called digestive biscuits, are a type of sweet biscuit or biscuit that was first made in Scotland in the late 18th century. Sources credit McVitie’s, a Scottish company with creating digestifs, and were initially marketed as good for digestion because they contained baking soda. This statement is actually true; one or two digestive biscuits after a meal may aid digestion slightly.
These round biscuits are widely praised in the UK and Ireland and remain popular. While not as popular in the United States, many food import stores carry them, and brands like Carr’s Crackers have an assortment of crackers that include digestives. Their simple ingredients make for a sweet cookie, though it’s nowhere near as sweet as most American-made cookies.
Most digestives are a combination of whole wheat flour, shortened to called whole wheat flour, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, a small amount of sweetener, leavening power or baking soda, and salt. Although digesters have a slight pop if you break them, the type of flour used means they soften quickly when steeped. In fact, there are websites dedicated to the topic of how long you can steep a digestif before it falls apart in your tea or coffee. These websites reflect the popularity of digestive biscuits, which are regularly eaten for morning snacks, with an afternoon cup of tea, or as a quick dessert or food on the go.
Digestive biscuits can best be compared in the US to graham crackers. Taste and texture are somewhat similar. Yet graham crackers are often thought of as a snack for kids as both kids and adults love digestifs. Sales are staggering with billions of plain chocolate digestive biscuits sold each year.
Not all digestives become instant snacks. Recipes for crusts we might make with graham crackers in the United States often use digestive biscuits instead. They can be crumbled to make more adult-friendly dishes like brandy or bourbon balls.
The variety of these cookies is also plentiful. You can choose from milk or dark chocolate, chocolate covered, orange flavored, or a variety of others. Numerous companies now make them, although many still prefer the McVitie brand. Other companies that make digestifs include Lu, Walkers and Lyons. You’ll find numerous types online if you want to order them, and some varieties at specialty and import stores.
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