Biscuits

A biscuit is a baked, commonly flour-based food product. Commonly is divided into two types: American biscuit and British biscuit. The term biscuit is applied to two distinct products in North America and Commonwealth of Nations and also Europe. In the United States and sometimes Canada, it is a small, soft, leavened bread, somewhat similar to a scone, though generally softer and fluffier. In Commonwealth English, it is a small baked product that would be called either a ‘cookie’ or a ‘cracker’ in the United States. Biscuits in the United Kingdom and Ireland may be savory (often referred to as ‘crackers’) or sweet such as chocolate biscuits, ginger nuts, custard creams, and many products that we can see inside almost every convenient store these days. Although in Commonwealth Nations, the term ‘cookie’ may be synonymous with ‘biscuit’, a cookie is generally a softer baked product like what they sell in Subway.

In Malaysia, American biscuits can often be seen in the fast food chain restaurant, for example Popeye, as for English biscuits, we can find them in many convenient stores like 7 Eleven. American biscuits are dry, which results in they usually eaten with jam like Strawberry or Blueberry jam. English biscuits, on the other hand, are usually eaten with milk. People often eat it in a way of dipping some part of the biscuits to a glass of milk to infuse milk flavor and soften the biscuit by a bit before they eat them.

A good American biscuits should have uniform golden brown at the top and bottom part, the inside should be creamy white and free from yellow or brown spots. It has to have straight sides and a smooth level top. The volume is at least twice the size of the unbaked product. The crust should be tender and moderately smooth; it also should be free from excess flour. A biscuit texture is preferred to be slightly moist, tender and flaky crumb, with a medium fine grain while the flavor is pleasing, well-blended with no bitterness at all.

Good condiments for high-tea like British biscuits have a variety of color from yellow to dark brown; the inside should have same consistency as the outside. The volume should be at least twice the size of the unbaked product, same as American biscuits. The crust and texture should be crunchy, not soft as it will be broken when snapped. Flavor should not have any bitterness as well, and may have savory or sweet taste, depending on people’s preference.

The two of them are delicious and are worth eating as a snack. Like the languages themselves, they have their own unique characteristics.