Bisciut Quiz - Answer #2

Surprised? So was I! Digestive biscuits were originally prescribed to people with stinky bottoms.

Two Scottish doctors invented the digestive biscuit in 1839 to cure toots, trumps, and bum belches. Victorian gentlemen were in the middle of an ‘air biscuit epidemic’. Remember, in that era and in high society, passing wind was extremely rude.

The doctors William Montgomerie and Alexander Kennedy came to their rescue with the wheaten meal biscuit. The biscuit, which was eaten as part of a healthy diet, was believed to have antacid properties. The doctors believed the biscuit would help reduce flatulence, and thus, the digestive biscuit was born!

Now, let’s talk about some fun facts and statistics about digestive biscuits.

• No other country buys and eats more biscuits than Britain. In the last month of the national lockdown in 2022, shoppers spent an extra £19m on biscuits. That’s a lot of biscuits! 🍪🍪🍪

• There is a biscuit for every occasion! Rusks for teething babies, party rings for birthdays, custard creams to dunk in tea, Penguins and Tunnock’s wafers for lunchboxes, water biscuits to eat with cheese. But let’s not forget about the digestive biscuit! It’s the best-selling biscuit in the UK. 🍪🍪🍪

• In 2012, Elliott Allen set a world record for breaking 18 digestive biscuits with one karate chop. 🍪🍪🍪

• In 2009 and 2010, the popular original McVitie’s recipe was changed. They removed palm oil and substituted it for sunflower oil. However, upon complaints from biscuit-lovers, they reverted to the old classic recipe. 🍪🍪🍪

• The sale of digestive biscuits is roughly 70 million packets a year; with half of these sales in the UK. That means 52 digestive biscuits are eaten every second. 🍪🍪🍪