In Australia, "biscuits" are what Americans call "cookies," and these traditional treats date back to World War I. It's said that wives and mothers of soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps—abbreviated to "Anzac"—baked these treats to send to their men overseas.
If you're in the USA, however, a 'biscuit' is what Australians and the English may refer to as a scone. American biscuits are usually enjoyed as part of a savoury meal, served with meat and gravy.
Australians speak English so they use the word “biscuit” rather than the Dutch “koekje” or “cookie”.
While Anzac biscuits do incorporate ingredients like oats and (optionally) coconut and can be soft and chewy or crunchy with a pronounced snap, the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), part of the Australian federal government, has declared that calling an Anzac biscuit a cookie is un-Australian.
The use of the word 'Anzac' in the commercial production and sale of Anzac biscuits is usually approved, however the biscuits must not substantially deviate from the generally accepted recipe and shape, and must be referred to as 'Anzac Biscuits' or 'Anzac Slice' (not 'Anzac Cookies').
Making Anzac biscuits is one tradition that Australians use to commemorate Anzac day. Everyone has their favourite recipe and there are countless arguments over whether they should be served crunchy or soft.
The recipe for Anzacs is legally protected by the Australian and New Zealand governments, and Aussies and Kiwis alike seem to go up in arms (hopefully not literally) when their national recipe is tampered with, or when the biscuits are called 'cookies' (by pesky Americans, no doubt).
They are very similar to Cadbury's Freddos that we grew up eating in the UK.
Although it's a myth that Anzac biscuits were sent and eaten by troops in Gallipoli, some evidence suggests a rolled oats based biscuit was sent to troops on the Western Front, although this is not widespread.
chook. A domestic fowl; a chicken. Chook comes from British dialect chuck(y) 'a chicken; a fowl' which is a variant of chick. Chook is the common term for the live bird, although chook raffles, held in Australian clubs and pubs, have ready-to-cook chooks as prizes.
Bludger. (Noun) A lazy person. “I'm running around like a headless chook organising this bloody barbie, and Johnno's just sitting there like a bludger!”
Scone (UK) / Biscuit (US)
These are the crumbly cakes that British people call scones, which you eat with butter, jam, sometimes clotted cream and always a cup of tea.
American biscuits are small, fluffy quick breads, leavened with baking powder or buttermilk and served with butter and jam or gravy. They are close to what the British would call scones.
The number one spot for Australia's most popular biscuit we easily give to Tim Tam because everyone who has any knowledge of Australia's culture knows that Tim Tams are a prototype of the country's sweet treats.
The Anzac biscuit is a national treasure for Australians and New Zealanders. It's a recipe shaped by the soldiers who so bravely fought for us in war, and by those back home who rallied behind them.
This iconic flavour actually tells us a lot about when they were first made in 1915 during World War I. Australian and New Zealand women used golden syrup to bind the biscuits — not eggs — so that the biscuits could survive the two- to three-month trip to troops in France.
Under government regulations, a biscuit can't be sold as an 'Anzac biscuit' if it has additions like chocolate chips or almonds.
There's even an American version of the Anzac biscuit from Boston-based Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. This recipe substitutes honey and dark brown sugar for golden syrup (which can be difficult to find in the US) and spices them up with additional coffee and orange zest flavors. 1.
1. ANZAC Biscuits (with Almonds) These are as quintessential as it gets! This is the national biscuit of Australia.
From the Latin meaning 'twice baked', a biscuit is much firmer than a cookie. A biscuit is usually smaller; it might contain currents; two biscuits might be pressed together with a filling, or it could be topped with icing or chocolate. It is reasonable to assume that most biscuits can be dipped in tea.
Rosemary is an ancient symbol of fidelity and remembrance. The aromatic herb grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula in Türkiye, where the original Anzacs served in World War I. Australians traditionally wear sprigs of rosemary as a symbol of remembrance on Anzac Day or Remembrance Day.
In 2002, Michelle Griffin discussed the fact that "bogan" is no longer just being used as an insult, but is in fact a way to identify with the "Aussie" culture that many Anglo‐Saxon Australian citizens are proud of. In the past, bogan was a term of disdain, but nowadays it has become "cool" to be a bogan.