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| Created by | unknown |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | wheat flour, water |
| Variations | papadum,senbei andnum kreab |
Acracker is a flat, drybakedbiscuit typically made withflour. Flavorings orseasonings, such as salt,herbs,seeds, orcheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before or after baking.[1] Crackers are often branded as a nutritious and convenient way to consume astaple food orcereal grain.
Crackers can be eaten on their own, but can also accompany other food items such as cheese or meat slices, fruits,dips, or soft spreads such asjam, butter,peanut butter, ormousse. Bland or mild crackers are sometimes used as a palate cleanser in food product testing or flavor testing, between samples. Crackers may also be crumbled and added to soup.[2] The modern cracker is somewhat similar tonautical ship's biscuits,[3] militaryhardtack,chacknels,[4] andsacramental bread. Other early versions of the cracker can be found in ancientflatbreads, such aslavash,pita,matzo,flatbrød, andcrispbread. Asian analogues includepapadum,senbei andnum kreab.
The characteristic holes found in many crackers are called "docking" holes. The holes are poked in the dough to stop overly large air pockets from forming in the cracker while baking.
Modern crackers are the end product of what started as a convenience food for soldiers and sailors, recorded as far back as 1190. Known ashard tack or ship's biscuit, they were made out of a mixture of grain and/or legume flour and water, shaped into tablets, then baked until brick hard. The low moisture content allowed these tablets to be stored for long periods of time with no loss of nutritional value. Mixed with coffee, soup, or even sea water, the hard biscuits could be softened before consuming.[5] They were an important part of a British sailor's diet until the introduction of canned food in the 1800s,[6] although the product remained a staple for soldiers during theAmerican Civil War. Not having ready access to wheat,Confederate soldiers made a similar item using ground corn, known as “corn dodgers” or “Johnny cakes".[7]
In 1836,Jonathan Dodgson Carr, who owned a mill and bakery inCarlisle, England, began milling wheat for his Table Water biscuits.[8] Made of flour and water,[9] the recipe was derived directly from hard tack, but rolled much thinner.[10] As a thin, crisp cracker, water biscuits were more palatable than hard tack but still suitable for long-term storage by sailors and travelers.[11]
There are two major types of crackers: soda (orsaltine), which are fermented and leavened with yeast; and snack crackers, which are, in most cases, chemically-leavened. Soda crackers normally do not contain added sugar and the fat or shortening level is quite low.[12] Another type of cracker uses no leavening; examples arematzah,[13]water crackers (also known as water biscuits),[14] andTriscuits.[15]
Crackers come in many shapes and sizes, such as round,rectangular,triangular, or irregular. Crackers sometimes havecheese orspices as ingredients, or evenchicken stock. Saltines andoyster crackers are often used in or served withsoup.Cheese crackers are prepared using cheese as a main ingredient; commercial examples includeCheez-It,Cheese Nips, andGoldfish.
Graham crackers anddigestive biscuits are treated more like cookies than crackers. Although they were both invented for their supposed health benefits, modern versions of both are sweet. Similarly,animal crackers are crackers in name only. Animal crackers and graham crackers may have docking holes.
Cracker brands includeBremner Wafers,Captain's Wafers,Cheese Nips,Club Crackers,Goldfish crackers,In a Biskit,Jacob's,Ritz Crackers,Town House crackers,Triscuit,TUC, andWheat Thins.
Media related toCrackers (food) at Wikimedia Commons
