Cream cracker
Encyclopedia
A 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. The cream cracker was invented by Joseph Haughton at his home in Dublin, Ireland, and then manufactured by William Jacob in a small bakery around 1885.
They are made from wheat flour and yeast
, and are commonly served with cheese
or other savoury topping such as Marmite
or Vegemite
. They are also eaten with butter
or margarine
or without accompaniment. They are popular in the United Kingdom
, Ireland
, Southeast Asia
and South Asia
. The most widely known cream cracker manufacturer is Jacob's
Bakery Ltd, a subsidiary of Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
in Ireland and United Biscuits
in the United Kingdom. In turn, United Biscuits is now owned by two venture capital companies, Blackstone and PAI. Each Jacob's cracker contains 34 kcal
. Manufacturers in Southeast Asia include Khong Guan, Hup Seng, Hwa Tai, and Jacob's (manufactured by Kraft Malaysia). Manufacturers in South Asia include Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Limited(Sri Lanka). The name Cream Crackers refers to the method in which the mixture is creamed during manufacture.
Biscuit
A biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
. It is similar to a matzo
Matzo
Matzo or matzah is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food which is made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish law. Currently, the most ubiquitous type of Matzo is the traditional Ashkenazic...
, but it contains yeast and is typically thicker and approximately 8 cm square. The cream cracker was invented by Joseph Haughton at his home in Dublin, Ireland, and then manufactured by William Jacob in a small bakery around 1885.
They are made from wheat flour and yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
, and are commonly served with cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
or other savoury topping such as Marmite
Marmite
Marmite is the name given to two similar food spreads: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand...
or Vegemite
Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
. They are also eaten with butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
or margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
or without accompaniment. They are popular in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The most widely known cream cracker manufacturer is Jacob's
Jacob's
Jacob's is a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits.-History:...
Bakery Ltd, a subsidiary of Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
The Jacob Fruitfield Food Group is an Irish food company. It was formed by Fruitfield Foods' acquisition of the Irish portion of Jacob's Biscuit Group in 2004 from Groupe Danone. The CEO and part-owner is Michael Carey. Other major shareholders include Lioncourt with a 36% stake.It is the owner of...
in Ireland and United Biscuits
United Biscuits
__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...
in the United Kingdom. In turn, United Biscuits is now owned by two venture capital companies, Blackstone and PAI. Each Jacob's cracker contains 34 kcal
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
. Manufacturers in Southeast Asia include Khong Guan, Hup Seng, Hwa Tai, and Jacob's (manufactured by Kraft Malaysia). Manufacturers in South Asia include Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Limited(Sri Lanka). The name Cream Crackers refers to the method in which the mixture is creamed during manufacture.