Happy World Biscuit Day: Biscuits that make our chai-time special
Turns out, today is World’s Biscuit Day. Did you know this? I didn’t either, and I would have spent my entire life in the dark, had my grocer not sent me 10 packets of Parle-G, absolutely free!
Parle-G has always been my favourite biscuit, somewhere between dipping it in a glass of milk to a cup of chai, I grew up. But I never outgrew the good ole Parle-G.
Guess a few things are a forever favourite and when it comes to biscuits, middle-class India will always reach for this original glucose heaven.
This one aside, there are some more crunchy, sweet, or salty biscuits we love.
Krack Jack
Yet another pocket-friendly product from the Parle brand, Krack Jack is just as addictive as the one above. It’s salty, but with a hint of sweetness. Makes for a great companion with chai, but don’t dip it for too long or you’ll end up losing it to your cuppa.
50-50
“Deliciously sweet and scrumptiously salty” is how Britannia defines it, and we guess they got it right. They have two variations, and I would pick ‘Maska Chaska’ over the regular one any day, for the extra flavour brought in by the thin herb-flakes.
Oreo
The sandwich cookie of two chocolate biscuits stuck together with a generous scoop of vanilla cream is what perfect dreams are made out of. After driving the US crazy for decades, this biscuit made an entry into the Indian market, and became an instant hit. Interestingly, the brand experimented with flavours in India that it had never tried in theStates. The Oreo Orange Crème was targeted only at our desi families. The classic chocolate and vanilla, however, remains my favourite.
Hide & Seek
This one has a lot of calories but it’s fun, nevertheless, and you’ll love the flavour boom in your mouth. With its sweetness, laced with a bit of bitterness, the choco-chip biscuit by Parle, was the first of its kind.
Marie
You can get your Marie biscuit from Parle, Sun Feast, Britannia, or whatever local brand your grocer is selling. It doesn’t really matter because they all taste the same – bland. Eh! Now you know I’m not a big fan of these, but I can’t deny that together, they are one of the most consumed biscuits in this part of the world. Every Indian household has one of those dabbas filled with these ones.
Rusk
These will grow on you, for they have grown on me for sure. They make great tea-companion. The ones that come with elaichi flavor, lend their aroma to the tea when dipped, making your beverage flavourful also. The only con is it messes up the place with its crumbles, you’ll have to dust your sofa after you’re done with your tea.
Good Day
Back in the 90s, it was regarded as cookies enjoyed by the elites, for it was perhaps the only one baked in butter and sprinkled with the delightful crunch of cashew-nuts. These days, however, even the middle-class raids it off the shelves.
Dark Fantasy Choco Fills
Is there something romantic in the naming of these cookies? Or do I still have a hangover of all the Mills-n-Boons I gorged on in my teens? In any case, the name suits the product. When you bite into the crisp layer and reach the molten gooey dark chocolate that gradually melts in the mouth. it’s orgasmic in food-porn terms.
Unibic Cookies
A relatively newer product priced a little above the median range of biscuit prices in India, these come in a range of assorted flavours of dry fruits and berry combinations. Their exotic tastes demand an indulgence, and it’s worth giving all its various mixes at least one try.
