Very confused about 'biscuits'

karenjoy
karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
OK I went out to Marks and Spencer today to have a cappuccino with friends, and they come with a teeny biscuit. I wanted to add the teeny biscuit and so went searching for it and found to my horror loads of entries talking about biscuits with gravy and sausage and other things, I can only assume that a biscuit is not the same here as in the States and I wondered what it is and also what other things are totally different on one side of the pond to the other. Please tell me what a biscuit is in America?

I think that you will call biscuits cookies, we have cookies, but they are just the chocolate chip Maryland cookie and everything else is called biscuits. Things like digestive, rich tea, shortbread, ginger nuts etc all biscuits.

I do know one thing that might confuse some Americans, tea is a meal in the UK, not just a drink. I would for instance give my children tea at tea time, but that does not mean I give them the drink (actually I hate the drink tea with a vengeance and don't touch it) tea is a meal that you have at about 5 o'clock.

Replies

  • simona1972
    simona1972 Posts: 355 Member
    Biscuits in the US [and here in Canada] is bread. What you refer to as biscuits are cookies here. Digestives, Tea, Shortbread etc... are all categorised as cookies.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    A biscuit in the states is similar to a scone, with less sugar among other minor differences.
  • Desiderata
    Desiderata Posts: 91
    i know in Britain, "biscuits" refer to our term "cookies". In America, biscuits are soft small leavened bread, similar to scones.

    hope this helps!
  • JennyVirginia
    JennyVirginia Posts: 69
    I have a friend who is the military and is stationed in England and when she got there she ordered a biscuit thinking it was going to be an American biscuit and was very surprised at the difference. Here's a link to a basic biscuit recipe and there's a pic. Yes, American biscuits are probably a very unhealthy choice. http://oldfashionedliving.com/biscuits.html Hope this helps you. I wish I could help you out on how to log your biscuit but I'm not really sure - sorry. Good luck to you.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Try using search social Tea and you will get "Social Tea - Biscuts (Cookies)" this should be close to what you are looking for.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    I wonder how that happened? How did we get to call things such different names?
  • paddlemom
    paddlemom Posts: 682 Member
    Just lucky! I used to do recipe editing and it was a challenge to convert recipes from Canadian to US and then to Australian and English.... here's another one...

    potato chips = crisps
    french fries = chips

    And I found out from my English friends that pancakes are more like crepes (flat, not much rise to them) and served with lemon and sugar - and not a breakfast food......to me a pancake is raised light and fluffy and best with butter and maple syrup for breakfast


    And regarding "tea" I knew it was a meal occasion in the UK, but I 'm still confused as to WHAT meal occassion. What do you typically serve at 'tea'. Would this be like a light dinner? Would you then eat a proper supper later in the day? Does that mean that you have 4 meals a day? Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner????
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    In Canada and the US, biscuits are a type of pastery. They're made with shortening and flour, and baking soda (usually). They're usually served alongside meals, just as you would a croissant, roll or pop-over (yorkshire pudding).

    What you call biscuits, as have been mentioned, are a type of cookie.
  • StaceG1986
    StaceG1986 Posts: 350
    Just lucky! I used to do recipe editing and it was a challenge to convert recipes from Canadian to US and then to Australian and English.... here's another one...

    potato chips = crisps
    french fries = chips

    And I found out from my English friends that pancakes are more like crepes (flat, not much rise to them) and served with lemon and sugar - and not a breakfast food......to me a pancake is raised light and fluffy and best with butter and maple syrup for breakfast


    And regarding "tea" I knew it was a meal occasion in the UK, but I 'm still confused as to WHAT meal occassion. What do you typically serve at 'tea'. Would this be like a light dinner? Would you then eat a proper supper later in the day? Does that mean that you have 4 meals a day? Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner????

    All this information is good and interesting to know as I am from the UK too!!

    Re. your question about 'tea', we have it when you would have your 'dinner' if that helps! :smile: Some of us call it tea, some call it dinner lol
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    Just lucky! I used to do recipe editing and it was a challenge to convert recipes from Canadian to US and then to Australian and English.... here's another one...

    potato chips = crisps
    french fries = chips

    And I found out from my English friends that pancakes are more like crepes (flat, not much rise to them) and served with lemon and sugar - and not a breakfast food......to me a pancake is raised light and fluffy and best with butter and maple syrup for breakfast

    And regarding "tea" I knew it was a meal occasion in the UK, but I 'm still confused as to WHAT meal occassion. What do you typically serve at 'tea'. Would this be like a light dinner? Would you then eat a proper supper later in the day? Does that mean that you have 4 meals a day? Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner????


    Yes our pancakes are like what you call crepes, and also what you call pancakes we call drop scones or scotch pancakes. Would never dream of having them for breakfast. Also think the ones I had in America served with breakfast was peculiar and couldn't get my head round the combination with the sausage etc. I also note that your bacon is not at all like ours, our bacon is more like canadian bacon, and our sausages are quite different to yours too. I falso ound the lack of choice on the cheese front in many supermarkets in America very strange indeed.

    Tea is traditionally served in the afternoon, it was started I think in the days when dinner was served very late indeed, Victorian ladies would then have aternoon tea, a light meal based around things like sandwiches (usually with the crust cut off, often called propers in those days) and cake, served with a pot of tea. You can also get what is called a cream tea, that is usually made up of a pot of tea, a scone (usually fruit) and a small pot of strawberry jam/conserve (I think you call jam jelly) and some clotted cream. It is yummy!

    Tea is something I served mainly to my children, when they were small. Some people will call their evening meal tea. I know several people who will say 'what are you having for tea tonght?' rather than dinner.
  • BillyC96
    BillyC96 Posts: 7,560 Member
    She thinks she's confused? I'm Karen's husband, I'm Canadian, and when I first moved here I never got to eat what I thought I was going to eat. 'Pancake Day' and they gave me crepes sprinkled with sugar. Huh? Where's the maple syrup? And where are the cookies?

    A biscuit is like a scone. Best description I can think of.
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    Out here in New Zealand, some use the term "tea" for supper or dinner. At work it's always, "So, what're you having for tea tonight?"
  • Cathyvil
    Cathyvil Posts: 230 Member
    Also for those of us on different sides of the pond:

    Jello = Jelly
    Baked Potato = Jacket Potato

    I know there are more but I just can't think of them right no :tongue:
  • melsy78
    melsy78 Posts: 65
    I am always flummoxed when I get a recipe that has Graham crackers in it - I think the closest thing we have are digestives but apparently they aren't quite the same!
    We normally call the American style pancakes "hotcakes" I do enjoy mine with bacon and maple syrup ohhhh mmmmmmmmmmm.
    But then we also make British pancakes that are thinner and we roll them up - good with either lemon and white sugar or golden syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • livingnlove
    livingnlove Posts: 49
    If it came with cappuccino, it was probably "biscotti" a twice baked bread.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    If it came with cappuccino, it was probably "biscotti" a twice baked bread.

    No it was a little mini shortbread biscuit, about the size of a 2p piece
  • megamom
    megamom Posts: 920 Member
    Lorna Doone's might be similar.
  • supermodelwannabe
    supermodelwannabe Posts: 4
    To me, a biscuit is what they serve at Red Lobster. Think buttery, cheesy, and garlicy. Heat them up and you are in heaven. There is no sweetness involved in this serious biscuit. :smooched:
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    I'm actually a little surprised Canadians are referring to biscuits as those dry bready things. Growing up in Quebec, living in Montreal - Biscuit is the same in french as it is in english - a type of "cookie".
    But then, I also grew up with an English father and french canadian mother... so I may have been lost in translation.:smokin:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    To me, a biscuit is what they serve at Red Lobster. Think buttery, cheesy, and garlicy. Heat them up and you are in heaven. There is no sweetness involved in this serious biscuit. :smooched:

    Me too! Or biscuits & gravy. Omgosh, yum.
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