Soothing to stomach and spirit, English biscuits provide exactly the right foil for the firm and pungent cheeses of their home country. Technically, the word biscuit means twice-cooked, originally referring to rusklike biscotti or zwieback that were baked, then sliced and toasted, and other long-lasting varieties that were boiled prior to being baked. Today, in its English usage, the term describes all sorts of crisp crackers that are not to be confused with the fluffy, buttery biscuit rolls of the American
South.
The most authentic English biscuits are made by Carr’s, Hovis, Jacobs, and McVitie’s, and their offerings range from simple, lean white water biscuits to thicker, creamier varieties and sweet, cookielike, rustic whole wheat or wholemeal types considered digestives in England. (Companies are no longer allowed to make that claim in the U.S.) Most producers also offer the biscuits in pepper, cheese, or herb varieties that do nothing but compromise the flavors of cheese and limit the delightful crackers’ versatility.
Charcoal biscuits are an unusual variant — dusky gray, cosseting, chiplike wafers popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as gastrointestinal purifiers, and still used as such today. Composed of willow charcoal powder, wheat flour, eggs, salt, and the merest hint of sugar, they are teasingly gritty on the tongue yet innocently neutral in flavor, working as palate cleansers after intensely sweet desserts.
Where:
In New York, Myers of Keswick, tel 212-691-4194, myersofkeswick.com.
Mail order:
British Corner Shop, britishcornershop.com (search digestives);
amazon.com (search original digestive biscuits).
Further information and recipes: 1200 Traditional English Recipes by Ethel Meyer (2010);
food.com (search english digestive biscuits).
Tip: Look for Carr’s, Jacobs, McVitie’s, Hovis, or Miller’s Damsels brands in upscale supermarkets and gourmet food stores.
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