Biscuits, crackers and cookies in America?

Question

What are the equivalent in America, what exactly do you guys call them?

In Britain, a biscuit is a small, sweet, sometimes crunchy snack. Dip it in your tea or coffee, eat. Sometimes chocolate covered - chocolate biscuit. A Kit-Kat is a chocolate biscuit.

Crackers are crunchy, dry, savoury snacks - can be used as an equivalent to a sandwich. Put butter on them, salad, meat, cheese... Anything. But don't dip it in your tea or coffee... Yuck.

Cookies are generally round, chocolate chip, or oatmeal, and almost always have that same, crumbly texture. You could call it a biscuit, but these specific biscuits are cookies.

Remember my question at the start... what is it in America? I heard all biscuits are called cookies, and our term 'crackers' are called biscuits.

Answer 1

Ok, I am going to try my best here...

In the US, a Biscuit is a soft, buttery, small bread. It is like a roll, but the butter makes it more crumbly.

Crackers seem to be the same thing. We use them to dip into things at parties, or top with chesse and pepperoni.

A cookie is just about any small, sweet thing. Usually crunchy, but can also be soft and chewy. Similar to your description of a cookie.

A kit kat is a candy bar :)

Answer 2

So funny you asked this. I have an English friend whom I visit sometimes and we always tease each other about how the things are called in America and how they are called in England. Anyway, a biscuit is a small round, soft bread usually made from buttermilk or milk. The biscuit itself isn't sweet. It is sometimes eaten with butter and jam or jelly or perserves. They aren't crunchy so I don't think I should say they are equivalent to crackers. Crackers are small, crunchy, thin and salted or unsalted snacks. We eat them plan or top them with cheese. There are now many different types to buy. Cookies are any sweets. In England, what you call a biscuit is what we call cookie. We also tease each other about how in England, the storage in the back of a car is called boot and in America we call it trunk.

Answer 3

Biscuit in the Northeastern states is like a Buttermilk bisuit you would eat with your dinner. Kind of like a roll. Though we do have tea biscuits you would dip in your tea or coffee. They are semi sweet, almost bland, some are crunchy and some are like the biscuit I just described with raisins or some other dried fruit.

Crackers are thin and like a wafer. Usually called saltines. Used for soups, stews and you can put small amouts of meats, cheeses and salads on them.

Cookies are like chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanutbutter cookies, etc

Answer 4

In the USA, a biscuit is a traditional breakfast bread. It is made with shortening, flour, salt, and baking powder and milk or buttermilk. The ingredients are very ligtly mixed together, cut into approximately 2 inch rounds, and baked. They are most like scones in texture and size. These are often served with a cream style gravy, with american sausage, or with butter and jam.

A British biscuit is a variety of American "cookie". These could be oreos, creme-filled sandwich cookies, chocolate-dipped graham crackers or even round chocolate chip cookies somewhat similar to things you might bake at home.

A British "cookie" as you describe it, is about the same as a home-made cookie in the USA. We make chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and even fun-shaped holiday sugar cookies and gingerbread men.

Answer 5

The only thing that sounds different is the biscuit, I've never known anyone here to do that. Typically, a biscuit is kind of like a scone sometimes, butter and jam, sometimes, egg and meat, sometimes gravy. Used more as a meal sometimes, or as a side to a meal. However, some of us here, depending on our heritage also snack on Gem Scones. YUMMY!

Answer 6

Love scones and make a variety of different types. Holly best described a true scone. I've never heard of the triangle shaped item as being called a biscuit or cookie in the US. Biscuits, at least in my part of the country are like rolls (shape of rolls) and smaller.

Answer 7

Biscuit--a soft bun made with buttermilk and usually served at breakfast.

Cracker- crunchy,usually salty squares to put cheese on,etc.

Cookies- sweet treats--what you call a biscuit.

Answer 8

biscuit here is more like soft scone.