The Abernethy biscuit was invented by surgeon John Abernethy in the 18th century as a digestive improver.[1]
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Created by | John Abernethy |
| Main ingredients | Hardtack, sugar, caraway seeds |
Abernethy believed that most diseases were due to disorders in digestion. The Abernethy biscuit is a type of digestive biscuit, a baked good originally designed to be eaten as a support to proper digestion.[2] In creating his biscuit, Abernethy was following a trend of other medical practitioners like English William Oliver of Bath, Somerset, inventor of the Bath Oliver; and the American preacher Sylvester Graham, a nutrition expert after whom the graham cracker is named.[3]
The Abernethy biscuit is an adaptation of the plain captain's biscuit or hardtack, with the added ingredients of sugar (for energy), and caraway seeds because of their reputation for having a carminative (prevents flatulence) effect[4] making them beneficial in digestive disorders. The biscuit is between an all butter biscuit and a shortcake, raising through the use of ammonium bicarbonate. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, a baker at a shop where Abernethy regularly had lunch created the new biscuit when Abernethy suggested it, naming it after him.[5]
Abernethy biscuits are still popular in Scotland. They are manufactured commercially by Simmers (Edinburgh), The Westray Bakehouse (Orkney Islands), Walls Bakeries (Shetland Islands), and by Stag Bakeries (Isle of Lewis).[6]
Sample ingredient list
editThe following are ingredients:[7]
- Plain flour
- Caster sugar (granulated sugar can also be used)
- Butter
- Baking powder
- Caraway seeds
- Milk
- Egg
- Salt
Selected references in art and history
editWhen British statesman William Gladstone was Vice-President of the Board of Trade in the 1840s, his luncheon consisted of an Abernethy biscuit, brought to him by his wife.[8]
In the libretto of the comic opera Princess Toto written by W. S. Gilbert (first performance 24 June 1876) the king disguises himself as an Abernethy biscuit.[9]
In Charles Dickens's first novel, The Pickwick Papers, the character Mr. Solomon Pell is found, "in court, regaling himself, ... , with a cold collation of an Abernethy biscuit and a saveloy".[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Laura Halpin Rinsky; Glenn Rinsky (2009). The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 1. ISBN 978-0-470-00955-0. OCLC 173182689.
- ^ "Abernethy Biscuits". The Foods of England. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ "Abernethy biscuit". theoldfoodie.com. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ Prosper Montagné (1961). Larousse Gastronomique: The Encyclopedia of Food, Wine & Cookery. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. pp. 209–210. ISBN 978-0-517-50333-1.
- ^ Alan Davidson (2006). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 78. ISBN 0-19-280681-5.
- ^ "Abernethy biscuit". bakersandlarners.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ "Traditional Scottish Recipes - Abernethy Biscuits". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- ^ George William Erskine Russell. Seeing and Hearing. p. 169. Retrieved 3 November 2018 – via Project Gutenberg.
- ^ W. S. Gilbert. "Princess Toto – An entirely new and original English Comic Opera in Three Acts" (PDF). The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive. p. 57. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, (1836) p. 774, Charles Dickens