What's new
By:
Filters

The Cultural Differences of.......Biscuits

  • Thread starter Deleted member 149562
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 149562

Guest
Time for some silly cultural chatter about the humble biscuit

Who knew that a biscuit could be so many things to so many

For example...

The posh choccy digestive that only appears when the inlaws call round

The Jammy Dodger and Iced Gem, regular attractions at a kids party

The "is it a biscuit or a cake" Jaffa Cake

The fly specked Garibaldi or Custard Cream..a staple in old folks homes

And then you have the weird (if on this side of the pond) biscuits with gravy.....where the gravy isn't the colour that, again on this side of the pond, is expected...and the wonderful South African rusks that are NOT for babies...

One reasonably small munchable that can cause much debate and argument...to dunk or not to dunk...best biscuit for tea or coffee....chocolate or plain....

Biscuits....they are not as innocent as they seem....but which is your favourite...and why?
 
Here's the other side, something I've learned from some immigrant friends who came here from England.

All of these biscuits are unknown things in Canada. I had to do research to understand what they were talking about. It's been an interesting process across the board as even though I lived in England for a short time, I don't understand an enormous range of expressions, and things they take for granted in terms of language. Food and products, like a lot of aquarium brands, translate poorly.

What is a jammy dodger?

It's fun because while we talk here, we pick up phrases in British, Australian, southern US English, northern US, western North American, Indian and other varieties of English. I love language, so that's part of the appeal of a forum to me.

In eastern Canadian, (very) older people still use 'biscuit'. Younger use 'cookie'.

It is clear, however, that Brits don't know what real gravy is. Neither do southerners in the US.

Ice lollies, eh????????????
 
Last edited:
Custard Cream. Perfection
 
GaryE said:
It is clear, however, that Brits don't know what real gravy is
Click to expand...
Well .. what's fake gravy?

(Real) Gravy is meat stock and other random stuff reduced down to a thick delicious brown substance that is poured over sunday dinner. Fake gravy is made with Bisto? 😁
 
My favourite subject, biscuits 🤤 I honestly don't know if I have a favourite...maybe a Scottish shortbread, dunked in a coffee.

My parents were quite poor when we immigrated from South Africa to England and the only biscuits they could afford for us kids were custard creams and the humble but yummy bourbon biscuits. We were partial to a milk chocolate digestive and if we felt really flush, a hob nob or 2!

But I was spoilt for choice in South Africa where biscuits are concerned, too many to mention! Although I will give a shout out to the romany cremes, a delicious coconut chocolate sandwich biscuit that was just way too decadent for the kiddies!

I'm off now to look for a Viennesse Whirl 🤤🤤🤤
 
I have a stash of choccy bickies beside the bed ready for when I get the nibbles late at night

No real favourite as such, although I do like mint Viscounts alot :)
 
Wait a minute...I think we're talking about cookies, here?*

When I think "biscuit", I think of these

*J/K, I do know the difference between UK and US "biscuits"
 

Attachments

  • biscuit.jpg
    biscuit.jpg
    32.3 KB · Views: 40
Those look more like what we call scones.

Biscuits are usually round (but not always, think custard creams and bourbons) 1/4 inch thick at max and crispy/hard.


Two of the most common biscuits
Digestives
diestives.jpg

Rich tea
rich tea biscuits.jpg

both of which can be plain or with the top covered in chocolate


Then there are cream biscuits such as custard creams and bourbons
cream biscuits.jpg




But I'm diet controlled diabetic and I'm not allowed to eat any😭
 
GaryE said:
southern US English, northern US, western North American,
Click to expand...
Do these regions have distinct dialects then? Silly, but I never considered that.
When I read a post they all have English accents, I get a shock when people post videos with them speaking!

BTW, chocolate Hobnobs for me!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Most reactions

Useful Links

Back
Top