FOOD TRIVIA: Cake, Crackers, Biscuit and Cookies

The expressions, "Cake Walk", "A piece of cake" and "Takes the cake" probably derive from the 19th century African - American competitions where couples who strutted most gracefully and stylishly were awarded a cake as a prize.

Many cakes and sweet treats that are popular and frequently served are round or ball like, symbolizing the circle of life. Italians eat honey coated, powdered sugar sprinkled balls of pasta dough called chiacchiere, while doughnuts are eaten in Poland, Hungary, and The Netherlands. The Dutch eat doughnut type pastries filled with apples, currents and raisins, as well. Other cultures put a trinket or coin in their cake and the one who gets the trinket containing slice, has a year’s good luck. Mexico and Greece are examples of this tradition but in Sweden and Norway the trinket/ coin is replaced by an almond and the cake by rice pudding. 

In 1998, The Sacher Hotel in Vienna baked a version of their world-famous cake, The Sacher Torte, which measured  2.5 meters (8m feet, 2.4 inches); a Guinness world record.

 The tiered wedding cake was inspired by St. Bride's Church, in London, England, because of its tiered spire

Most crackers are full of holes, not for appearance but to release steam in the wet dough, which would create bubbles to break them, while they bake. The holes keep them flat, dry and crunchy.

In Australia, the Anzac Biscuit, an army biscuit, is sold each year when the country celebrates Anzac (Australia/New Zealand)  Day. During WW I, the recipe was used to make biscuits for the  Anzac  soldiers serving in Europe. It took two months for them to get there by sea. They arrived in Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

Fortune cookies offered by most Chinese restaurants in America, are not found in China. They were invented in 1916 by George Jung, a noodle maker in Los Angeles.

Italian cookies are usually dry and not very sweet because they are meant to be dipped into coffee or wine to enhance the enjoyment of each drink. Also, their dry consistency prolonged their shelf life before refrigeration became available. 

In 1918, several baking companies formed the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) on 15 - 16 St along 9th Ave, in NYC. The Oreo cookie was born there. Now, 15 -16 St along 9th Ave is officially known as  “Oreo Way”.                         

Many centuries ago, bakers in Scotland classified shortbread as bread to avoid the tax that was placed on biscuits (cookies), at that time.