Cracker (food)

This article is about the baked good. For other uses, seeCracker (disambiguation).

Acrackeris a flat, drybaked biscuittypically made withflour.Flavorings orseasonings,such assalt,herbs,seeds,orcheese,may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking.Crackers are often branded as a nutritious and convenient way to consume astaple foodorcereal grain.

Cracker

Water biscuitcrackers withherringandgarlic sauce
Place of origin	various
Created by	unknown
Main ingredients	flour,water
Variations	papadum,senbeiandnum kreab
Cookbook: Cracker Media: Cracker

Reproduction of 19th-centuryhardtack,in the Army (square) and Navy (round) styles

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.The modern cracker is somewhat similar tonauticalship's biscuits,militaryhardtack,chacknels,andsacramental bread.Other early versions of the cracker can be found in ancientflatbreads,such aslavash,pita,matzo,flatbrød,andcrispbread.Asian analogues includepapadum,senbeiandnum 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.

Names

In American English, the name "cracker" usually refers to savory or salty flat biscuits, whereas the term "cookie"is used for sweet items. Crackers are also generally made differently: crackers are made by layering dough, while cookies, besides the addition of sugar, usually use achemical leavening agent,may contain eggs, and in other ways are made more like a cake.In British English, crackers are sometimes calledwater biscuits,or savoury biscuits.

Types

Crackers come in many shapes and sizes, such as round,rectangular,triangular,or irregular. Crackers sometimes havecheeseorspicesas ingredients, or evenchickenstock, such asIn a Biskit,which is sold internationally with various flavors.

Saltinesandoyster crackersare often used in or served withsoup.Similar crackers includecream crackersandwater biscuits.

Cheese crackersare prepared using cheese as a main ingredient. Commercial examples includeCheez-It,Cheese NipsandGoldfish.

Graham crackersanddigestive biscuitsare also treated more like cookies than crackers, although they were both invented for their supposed health benefits, and moderngraham crackersare sweet. Similarly,animal crackersare crackers in name only. Animal crackers and Graham crackers may have docking holes.

Brands

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.

Gallery

• 
  Arare,small Japanese rice crackers
• 
  Bagelchips
• 
  Cheez-Itcrackers made by Kellogg
• 
  Cheddar cheeseflavoredGoldfish crackers
• 
  Graham crackerswhich are lightly sweet rather than savory
• 
  A bowl ofoyster crackers
• 
  Ritz Crackers
• 
  Saltine crackers
• 
  JapaneseSenbeirice cracker
• 
  Triscuitshredded wheat crackers
• 
  Trio of Water biscuits: Left: Supermarket own brand, Right: Excelsior from Jamaica, Top: Carr's Table Cracker
• 
  Beaten biscuitsare a relative of crackers

See also

• Cheese and crackers
• Kerupuk
• List of crackers
• Matzo
• Pretzel
• Saltine cracker challenge
• Tortilla

External links

Media related toCrackers (food)at Wikimedia Commons

• Website of Bent's Cookie Factory in Milton, MA, purveyors of "water crackers" and hardtack during the American Civil War
• Make your own cheddar crackers
• Make your own thin wheat crackers