A
cracker is a type of
biscuitA biscuit is a kind of small, flat-baked bread product that is usually made with a chemical leavener such as baking powder. The exact meaning varies markedly in different parts of the world, and the meanings in British English and American English are quite distinct...
that developed from military
hardtackHardtack is a simple type of cracker or biscuit, made from flour, water, and salt. Inexpensive and long-lasting, it is and was used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyages and military campaigns. The name derives from the British sailor slang for food,...
and nautical ship biscuits.
In 1792, Theodore Pearson of Newburyport, Massachusetts, made a cracker-like bread product from just flour and water that he called Pearson's Pilot Bread. An immediate success with sailors because of its shelf life, it also became known as hardtack or sea biscuit.
A
cracker is a type of
biscuitA biscuit is a kind of small, flat-baked bread product that is usually made with a chemical leavener such as baking powder. The exact meaning varies markedly in different parts of the world, and the meanings in British English and American English are quite distinct...
that developed from military
hardtackHardtack is a simple type of cracker or biscuit, made from flour, water, and salt. Inexpensive and long-lasting, it is and was used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyages and military campaigns. The name derives from the British sailor slang for food,...
and nautical ship biscuits.
History
In 1792, Theodore Pearson of Newburyport, Massachusetts, made a cracker-like bread product from just flour and water that he called Pearson's Pilot Bread. An immediate success with sailors because of its shelf life, it also became known as hardtack or sea biscuit. This was the first cracker bakery in the United States, and produced crackers for more than a century.
But the real revolutionary moment in the life of the cracker came in 1801 when another Massachusetts baker, Josiah Bent, burnt a batch of biscuits in his brick oven. The crackling noise that emanated from the singed biscuits inspired the name - crackers - and a bit of ingenuity, as Bent set out to convince the world of the product's snack food potential. By 1810, his Boston-area business was booming, and, in later years, Bent sold his enterprise to the company we now know as Nabisco.
In 1999, the cookie and cracker industry in the United States employed 37,857 people, with sales exceeding $10 billion.
Types
The holes in crackers are called "docking" holes. The holes are placed in the dough to stop air pockets from forming in the cracker while baking.
In U.S. English, the name "cracker" is most often applied to flat biscuits with a savory, salty flavor, in distinction from a "
cookieIn the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat-baked treat, containing milk, flour, eggs, and sugar, etc. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have different...
," which may be similar to a "cracker" in appearance and texture, but has a sweet flavor. Crackers may be further distinguished from cookies by the manner in which they are made. Crackers are made by layering dough and cookies are made in any manner a cake would be made. Crackers sometimes have
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
or
spiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
s as ingredients, or even
chickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other bird...
stock. Some crackers are salted
flourFlour is a powder made of cereal grains or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many civilizations, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
products.
Brands including
Captain's WafersCaptain's Wafers are crackers made by Lance, Inc. They are light buttery crackers typically served with soups and salads.They are name-checked in the song "Camel Walk" by Southern Culture on the Skids....
,
Club CrackersClub crackers are the crackers made by the Keebler Company. The crackers are offered in several different varieties:* Club Original* Club Reduced Fat* Club Multi-Grain* Club Snack Sticks Original* Club Snack Sticks Honey Wheat...
, Town House Crackers,
Ritz CrackersRitz crackers are a type of cracker from Wisconsin designed to be eaten on their own or with a topping. The Ritz Cracker Brand is made by a subsidiary of Kraft Foods . They are circular in shape, salted lightly on one side, and have small scalloping around the edges...
,
Cream crackerA cream cracker is a flat, usually square savoury biscuit. It is similar to a matzo, but it contains yeast and is typically thicker and approximately 8 cm square...
s and
Water biscuitA water biscuit is a type of biscuit or cracker. Water biscuits are baked using only flour and water, without shortening or other fats usually used in biscuit production. They are thin, hard and brittle, and usually served with cheese or wine...
s are used spread with
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
,
pâtéPâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include ground liver, vegetables, herbs, spices, and wine.- Variations :...
, or
mousseMousse is a form of creamy dessert typically made from egg and cream , usually in combination with other flavors such as chocolate or pureed fruit...
.
Saltine and
oyster crackerOyster crackers are small, salted, buttery crackers, typically hexagons about 0.59 in in diameter, although a slightly larger circular variety is also prevalent. They are popular in the northeastern USA, where they are served as an accompaniment to soup, and in the Cincinnati area, where they are...
s are often used in or served with
soupSoup is a food that is made by combining ingredients, such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids until the flavor is extracted, forming a broth....
.
Mock apple pie is made from Ritz (or similar) crackers.
Animal crackerAnimal crackers are crackers in the shapes of animals, some brands of which are sweetened. These are usually animals one would see at the zoo or circus, including lions, tigers, bears, and elephants....
s are the subject of debate as to whether they are cookies, or crackers. One side states that they are a cracker, an exception to the rule-of-thumb "crackers are salty/savory; cookies are sweet." Plus, the manner in which animal crackers are made (layered dough) classifies them as crackers. However, the sweet taste and texture of the dough would lead the other side to believe that they are, in fact, cookies.
Graham crackerThe graham cracker was developed in 1829 in Bound Brook, New Jersey, by Presbyterian minister Rev. Sylvester Graham. Though called a cracker, it is sweet rather than salty and so bears some resemblance to a biscuit - digestive biscuits are the closest approximation...
s and
digestive biscuitA digestive biscuit, sometimes referred to as a sweetmeal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit , popular in the United Kingdom, in other Commonwealth countries, in Ireland and in Greece...
s are also eaten as cookies, although they were both invented for their supposed health benefits.
A popular snack is crackers with
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
as a topping.
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