Short history of biscuits
A practical and nutritious food that is easy to preserve and carry!
Since their creation biscuits have played two roles:
- the practical and nutritious food, easy to preserve and carry (for soldiers, seamen and travelers). It was used by the Romans, the Spanish armada or the Royal Navy for instance
- the confectionery food which evolved at the same pace as Europe, influenced by the Crusades (spices and cooking techniques), discoveries (sugar) or inventions (refined flour)
After the Second World War the number of companies in Europe tends to decrease but the number of recipes multiplies. New technologies and techniques to fold, mix, bend, coat or fill the paste excite the imagination of biscuits manufacturers and artisans and lead to the creation of many new products.
5000 BC, Egypt
Egyptians believe in life after death and leave food (including a kind of wafer) in tombs to ensure their deaths would not be hungry in the other world.
200 BC, Greece
Breads and wafers are prepared from different flours (wheat, buckwheat), oil, milk, honey. Some breads are cooked twice. They mark the birth of biscuits and explain their etymology, “twice-cooked”.
100 AC, Rome
Rome has more than 300 bakers who prepare fine bakeries and also manufacture big quantities of biscuits to ensure the subsistence of the legionaries who were in campaign.
Since its creation biscuits has played two roles:
- the practical and nutritious food, easy to preserve and carry (for soldiers, seamen and travelers). It was used by the Romans, the Spanish armada or the Royal Navy for instance
- the confectionery food which evolved at the same pace as Europe, influenced by the Crusades (spices and cooking techniques), discoveries (sugar) or inventions (refined flour).
In the 19th century the mass production of cakes, biscuits and jelly begins with the Industrial Revolution. Europe sees the founding of biscuits makers who will write the best pages of biscuits industry: Lazzaroni, Delacre, de Beukelaer, Bahlsen, LU, BN to name but a few.
After the Second World War the number of companies in Europe tends to decrease but the number of recipes multiplies. New technologies and techniques to fold, mix, bend, coat or fill the paste excite the imagination of biscuits manufacturers and artisans and lead to the creation of many new products.
How biscuits are made
The list of biscuits products is long and varied. And it continues evolving since new recipes and techniques are tested every day.
The list of biscuits products is long and varied. And it continues evolving since new recipes and techniques are tested every day.
There exist a whole range of recipes and cooking techniques. It is impossible to describe them all here so let’s take the example of a simple biscuits:
First of all the different ingredients are mixed together and worked into dough. Once the dough has the consistency and softness required, it is moulded or cut before it is cooked. After cooling, the biscuits are either ready or they can be coated (with chocolate), sprinkled (with almonds or spices or cheese in the case of salty biscuits) or filled and covered. Finally the biscuits are wrapped and packed.
Last step? Degustation!