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The word `biscuit` means different things to different people in various parts of the globe. In simple terms it means a chemically leavened bread-like product. In other words a biscuit is a hard baked product resembling a small flat cake. In some parts of the world biscuits are known as `cookies` and `crackers` because of the cracking sound that is produced when eating them. Biscuits are usually eaten as a snack and may contain chocolate, jam, nuts as fillings. It is even used to sandwich other fillings. Biscuit manufacturers provide a variety of biscuits - sweet, savoury, plain, flavoured, sandwiched and enrobed. Biscuits and biscuit-like products have been made and eaten by man for hundreds of years if not more.
Varieties: Although there are many regional varieties, biscuits are generally sweet in taste. One of the variety of biscuits called savoury biscuits are less sweet, often go by the name of crispbread and are commonly eaten with cheese after a meal. One of the varieties of this biscuit comes in the form of pressed crackers to be eaten with cheese and dips. They come in various flavours such as organic, sesame and poppyseed. A cracker is a dry, thin, crispy and savoury biscuit and are most often salty than sweet. The crackers have holes in them called `docking holes`. These holes are placed in the dough so that no air pockets are formed when the cracker is in the process of being baked.
Main ingredients: The main ingredients used for biscuit manufacture are wheat flour, fat, sugar and water by weight. Biscuits are different from other baked cereal products such as bread and cake mainly because of its low moisture content. If bread typically contains 40 percent moisture, cake 20 percent, then biscuits in comparison contain mere 5 percent. This low moisture content ensures that the biscuits are generally free from microbiological spoilage and have a prolonged shelf life.
Types of dough: There are two types of biscuit dough, namely hard dough and short dough. Hard dough is similar to those used for making bread but are much stiffer. The hard dough is elastic and viscous in nature because of the presence of gluten protein. The hard dough groups are savoury, unsweetened or semi-sweet and include semi-sweet varieties and crackers. Hard dough also has a low sugar content. Short dough contains much less water, are weaker and break more easily. This group contains all types of sweet biscuits.
Bulk production of biscuits: Biscuits are produced in factories. Most biscuit factories buy and store the main ingredients such as flour, sugar, fat, syrups etc in bulk. The required amount of these is then automatically channeled into big mixers where these are blended together.  The smaller ingredients such as salt, baking soda are mixed at a later stage and done manually. These days the manufacturers have become inventive and are able to raise the range of variety available by adding dried fruits, nuts, dressings etc.
Food value of biscuits: Biscuits have a relatively high energy density as compared with other baked goods. Because of the high caloric content of the biscuits health researchers have criticized this item but many travelers and explorers have been grateful to it for the same reason. Over long periods away from home, it provides an ease and convenience in terms of storage and food value. Biscuits still form a significant and important component of emergency food supplies. Most biscuits or cookies are calorie dense foods and do not contain any dietary fibre and are low on nutrition. Moreover they are high in carb sugar and can be a major reason for obesity and therefore diabetes. It is advisable to go easy on biscuits and cookies.
Homemade recipes: There is no dearth of websites that offer recipes on how to prepare fibre rich and low carbohydrates, gluten-free biscuits easily at home. Apart from providing the required nutrition such biscuits do not add to health hazards. It must be remembered that biscuits are no substitute for a meal and must be consumed sensibly.
Packaging of biscuits: Biscuits are available in the market in very attractive packaging. Biscuit manufacturers have placed into the market many innovative and creative designs such as decorated biscuit tins, composite tubes or cartons. They also ensure that the quality and freshness of biscuits is retained as it is vital to its success in the market. Infact biscuits and cookies serve as gift items because they come in innovative and decorative packaged designs and have along shelf life.
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