Digestive biscuit
 |
|
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | Wheaten, sweet-meal biscuit |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Details | |
| Type | Biscuit |
| Main ingredient(s) | Wheat flour, sugar, malt extract, vegetable oil, wholemeal, raising agents (usually sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid and malic acid), salt |
A digestive biscuit, sometimes described as a sweet-meal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit (usually known in American English as a "cookie"[1]) that originated in the United Kingdom and is popular worldwide. The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two Scottish doctors to aid digestion.[2] The term "digestive" is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed.[3] While it is true that Bicarbonate of Soda is present in the biscuits in large amounts, much of it is decomposed into Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) during cooking, which has only negligible effects on acid production.[4] Historically, some producers used diastatic malt extract to "digest" some of the starch that existed in flour prior to baking.[5][6]
Contents
History
In 1839, digestives were first developed in the United Kingdom by two Scottish doctors to aid digestion.[2] Digestives featured in advertisements for the Berkshire-based biscuit company Huntley & Palmers in 1876, with a recipe being given in Cassell's "New Universal Cookery Book" of 1894. In 1851 an issue of The Lancet London's advertising section offered brown meal digestive biscuits.[7] At the time, it was asserted grain millers knew only of bran and endosperm.[8] After 10% of the whole grain's coarser outer-bran coat was removed, and because the innermost 70% of pure endosperm was reserved for other uses, brown meal, representing only 20% of the whole grain, remained, consisting of about 15% fine bran and 85% white flour.[9] By 1912 it was more widely known that brown meal included the germ, which lent a characteristic sweetness.[10]
In 1889, John Montgomerie of Scotland filed a U.S. patent application, which was granted in 1890. This patent asserted a prior patent existed in England dated 1886. The U.S. patent, titled "Making Malted Bread", included instructions for the manufacture of digestive biscuits. Montgomerie claimed this saccharification process would make "nourishing food for people of weak digestion".[11]
Despite rumours that it is illegal for them to be sold under their usual name in the United States,[12] they are, in fact, widely available in imported food sections of grocery stores and by mail order.[13][14] In the US, buying digestive biscuits may require a visit to an international market, or they may be ordered from international retailers that have an Internet presence.[15]
Ingredients
The typical digestive biscuit contains coarse brown wheat flour (which gives it its distinctive texture and flavour), sugar, malt extract, vegetable oil, wholemeal, raising agents (usually sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid and malic acid) and salt.[16] Dried whey, oatmeal, cultured skimmed milk and/or emulsifiers such as DATEM may also be added in some varieties.
A digestive biscuit averages around 70 calories, although this sometimes varies according to the factors involved in its production.
Nutrition
The average digestive biscuit contains 1.1g of protein, 9.4g of carbohydrates, 3.2g of fat (1.4g of which is saturated fat), 0.5g of fibre, 2.5g of sugar and 90 mg of sodium.[17] The biscuits do not provide much value in regards to being a protein or fibre source. On the other hand, a 100g serving consists of around 20g of fat (30% of the RDA) and almost 500 calories (a quarter of the average recommended calorie intake). Although the name suggests some form of dietary or 'digestive' benefit, this biscuit does not provide any additional nutritional value to the body. It is empty of any essential vitamins and minerals and when the sodium bicarbonate ingredient is heated past a certain degree, its chemical structure is altered thereby removing its beneficial properties.
Consumption
Digestive biscuits are frequently eaten with tea or coffee. Sometimes, the biscuit is dunked into the tea and eaten quickly due to the biscuit's tendency to disintegrate when wet.
The digestive biscuit is also used as a cracker with cheeses, and is often included in "cracker selection" packets.
In the UK, McVitie's digestive is the best selling biscuit, with 80 million packs sold annually.[3][18] Digestives are also popular in food preparation for making into bases for cheesecakes and similar desserts.[19]
Chocolate digestives
Chocolate digestive biscuits also are available, coated on one side with milk, dark or white chocolate. Originally produced by McVitie's in 1925 in the UK as the Chocolate Homewheat Digestive, other recent varieties include the basic biscuit with chocolate shavings throughout (chocolate "chips" within the biscuit mix), or a layer of caramel, mint chocolate, orange-flavoured chocolate,[20] or plain chocolate. American travel writer Bill Bryson described the chocolate digestive as "a British masterpiece".[21] The McVitie's chocolate digestive is the most popular biscuit in the UK to dunk into tea.[2]
Recipe substitution
In recipes calling for digestive biscuits, it is common to substitute graham crackers in the United States. According to Charles Panati, the original graham cracker is called a "digestive biscuit" in the United Kingdom.[22] However, graham crackers are typically a little dryer and more brittle.
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Chocolate digestive is nation's favourite dunking biscuit". The Telegraph. May 2, 2009
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[citation needed]
- ↑ http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-digestive-biscuits-11577.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ U.S. Patent 423,263
- ↑ QI, Season B, Episode 7, "Biscuits", In America it is illegal to call them "digestives"
- ↑ Cost Plus World Market: Product listing for retail and mail order availability in the United States
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Calories in a Digestive Biscuit sparkpeople.com
- ↑ "Crumbs, we've been eating McVitie's Digestives and Hobnobs all wrong! Firm says chocolate part is the BOTTOM". Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 December 2014
- ↑ Waitrose: Banoffee Pie
- ↑ EnglishTeaStore.com: McVities Milk Chocolate & Orange Digestives 300g Accessed 2008-01-05
- ↑ Bryson, Bill. (1996). Notes from a Small Island; William Morrow, ISBN 0-688-14725-9
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
