• The Tenuous Purpose

    This Blog is built - not, as some might expect, on a flimsy whim but on a strong and single minded principle.

    That principle concerns Biscuits and their position in the world.

    We are really very keen on biscuits.
    As are many of you out there.
    We think.

    We wish to create an archive of Arrowroot, a backlog of Bourbons and a catalogue of Chocolate Fingers. Anybody can contribute an entry - or dispute somebody else's - provided they are not dull.
    Even Americans who perhaps don't really have the heritage of biscuitry that we are fortunate to have here.

    Or maybe they do and we are unaware of the full glory of the cookie.

    We realise that this whole subject is admirably and concisely dealt with by that excellent and unbeatable website A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down. Our feeble efforts will be as the kicking of a gadfly in the face of their wisdom and experience but we hope that we may have a small contribution to make.

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    James Alexander-Sinclair of Blackpitts
    Gardener, Blogger, Journalist, Lecturer etc, etc. Much of his life is spent loafing around other people’s gardens issuing directives and generally cluttering up the place. However, like the great Mr Kipling, he does (occasionally) make exceptionally good gardens. (Although even Mr Kipling messed up a bit with the Carrot and Walnut Mini Classics.)

    Mark Diacono of Otter Farm
    He does sterling work growing many inappropriate plants in Devon. He dedicates a great deal of time and effort nurturing a plethora of plants that are (mostly) totally unsuited to our climate. His is a life of such extreme eccentric dedication that to start a Blog about Biscuits seems perfectly normal. He treads gently in the footsteps of people like the great William Buckland,a professor of Geology who claimed that he could tell location by tasting the local topsoil.

Hard Tack

Posted on September 17, 2009 by blackpittsbiscuit

Ships’ Biscuit. A rock solid confection of flour and water and salt. Baked at least twice for extra solidity.

And weevils.

However, it fed the world’s most powerful Navy for a pretty long time.

But, it can’t have been much fun. You can’t see Nelson, Collingwood and Sir John Jervis sitting down for a cup of tea and a hard tack. Or even Admiral Duncan at the Battle of Camperdown (I mention him because we are related and it is good to brag occasionally.)

They were usually soaked in salty water and mushed into a sort of porridge.

No wonder they had fewer teeth in those days.

James A-S.

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2 Responses

  1. Carrie, on September 17, 2009 at 9:49 pm said:

    Now THAT was interesting! Never heard of them.

    Reply
  2. simon williamson, on September 18, 2009 at 2:07 pm said:

    With ref to James bragging, , my esteemed Great Grandfather used to go to Paris for various things of which my Grandmother, was not aware, but swore [ as he did often] that the best dipper was a “short biscuit based vignette” I have hunted for these elusive crumb delights but never managed to purchase any, .Maybe it was in his imagination, just a brief beautiful glimpse of something..

    Reply

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