Biscuits & Cookies

Biscuits and cookies are part of the snacks and noodles aisle, and in most South Asian homes they are less of a treat than a habit. A cup of chai is rarely served without a plate of them, and guests are offered a biscuit before the question of food even comes up. Indian bakeries are known for glucose, marie and nankhatai style butter biscuits, Sri Lankan factories for crisp cream crackers and wafers, and British brands for digestives and shortbread.

This page brings all of them together. Sweet biscuits cover the plain dunkers such as glucose, marie, digestive and coconut. Cream biscuits are the sandwiched kind with a chocolate, vanilla, orange or elaichi filling. Cookies are richer and more crumbly, often with butter, cashew, chocolate chips or oats. Wafers are light and layered, and crackers are the savoury, salted side of the shelf.

To choose, think about how you eat them. For dunking, pick a firm biscuit that holds together in hot tea. For a lunchbox or school bag, individual packs keep things fresh. For guests, a tin or a mix of cream and butter biscuits makes a better plate. Once a packet is open, fold it shut with a clip or tip the biscuits into an airtight tin, since the damp air of a kitchen softens them within days. For twice baked bites, see rusks and khari, and for something to pour, a pot of masala chai.