The first biscuits were simply dried bread used to tide people over in periods of scarcity and hardship. For centuries they were the staple food of soldiers & sailors –a humble yet essential fuel for oceanic long-distance trade and indispensable in empire building.
Medieval Islamic confectioners transformed the biscuit from a store room staple into a decadent indulgence by adding sugar and when Arab invaders brought sweet biscuits to Europe they were thought of as both a remedy for ‘windy colic’ as well as a luxurious treat.
During the Industrial Revolution biscuits began to be mass produced in Britain, initially as a superior product for the discerning genteel customer. It was not until after the Second World War that Digestives, Jammie Dodgers and Bourbons became comfort food for the entire nation.
Join Lizzie Collingham as she traces the origins of the Fig Roll to medieval Baghdad and explains the naming of the Garibaldi – guaranteed to make you reach for the biscuit tin.
Medieval Islamic confectioners transformed the biscuit from a store room staple into a decadent indulgence by adding sugar and when Arab invaders brought sweet biscuits to Europe they were thought of as both a remedy for ‘windy colic’ as well as a luxurious treat.
During the Industrial Revolution biscuits began to be mass produced in Britain, initially as a superior product for the discerning genteel customer. It was not until after the Second World War that Digestives, Jammie Dodgers and Bourbons became comfort food for the entire nation.
Join Lizzie Collingham as she traces the origins of the Fig Roll to medieval Baghdad and explains the naming of the Garibaldi – guaranteed to make you reach for the biscuit tin.