The words are used interchangeably by both the food industry and regulatory bodies. However, in practice, biscuits and wafers differ in terms of preparation and format.
Crackers are usually dry and have a flatter shape. The biscuit can be dry or moist, and has a more rounded shape.
| Cookie | Cookie | |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Dry or wet. | Dry. |
| Format | Various formats, but hardly flat. | It can have a variety of shapes, but they are usually flat. |
| Etymology | from latin bis (twice) and coctus (cooked). | from latin bulla (spherical object) plus the diminutive suffix he thinks. |
What is a cookie?
Biscuit is a food made with flour dough from different cereals, fat or yeast. It may or may not have sugar. As well as stuffing or covering, and can be found in different formats, but hardly in a flatter form.
The term cookie comes from the Latin bis It is coctus, which means "twice-cooked". This alludes to its old method of preparation, where the food was roasted twice to make it less humid.
The biscuit originated with the Greeks, who mixed honey, milk and cinnamon in the preparation of Egyptian bread. The food was initially produced by slaves and only in the 17th century did it become popular in Europe.
What is cookie?
The biscuit is produced with the same ingredients as the biscuit, but the difference is that it is generally drier. In addition to having a flat format.
As an example, we have Bolacha Maria, created in 1874. It was made in commemoration of the wedding of the Duchess of Russia Maria Alexandrovna to the Duke of Edinburgh.
The term cookie comes from the Latin bulla (spherical object) plus the diminutive suffix he thinks.
Biscuit or cookie? What does the legislation say?
Despite the distinction, Anvisa, the regulatory body for food products in Brazil, considers cookies and crackers to be equivalent.
This definition takes into account the presence or not of coverage, filling, as well as different formats and textures.
According to the Brazilian Association of Biscuit, Pasta and Industrialized Bread & Cake Industries (Abimapi), both the term biscuit and biscuit are correct. Despite this, the term "biscuit" was the first to enter the Portuguese language.
What is the term used in each region?
If, according to the legislation, the two terms are correct and exist in the Portuguese language, which would be the best one to use? The answer varies according to the region of Brazil.
In general, the food industry is more likely to use the term cookie on packaging. In addition, the term is more used in most regions of Brazil, including the North, Northeast, Southeast and Midwest.
On the other hand, the term bolacha is widely used in the state of São Paulo and in the southern region of Brazil.
See also the difference between:
- Demerara sugar, brown and refined
- Light and Diet
- vegan and vegetarian
