Cracker (food) facts for kids
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| Place of origin | Various |
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| Created by | unknown |
| Main ingredients | Flour, water |
A cracker is a thin, dry, and crispy baked food. It is usually made from flour and water. People often add different flavors to crackers. These can include salt, herbs, seeds, or cheese. These flavors can be mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top. Crackers are a quick and easy snack. They are also a good way to eat cereal grains.
You can eat crackers by themselves. But they also go well with many other foods. Try them with cheese slices or meat. They are great with dips or soft spreads. Think of jam, peanut butter, or butter. Sometimes, plain crackers are used to clear your taste buds. This happens when people are testing different food flavors. You can also crumble crackers into soup. Crackers are similar to old-time ship's biscuits. They are also like military hardtack and ancient flatbreads. Examples of old flatbreads include lavash, pita, and matzo.
Have you ever noticed the tiny holes in many crackers? These are called "docking" holes. Bakers poke these holes in the dough. This stops big air bubbles from forming inside the cracker. Without the holes, the cracker might puff up too much.
What's in a Name?
In America, "cracker" usually means a savory or salty flat biscuit. Sweet items are called "cookies". Crackers and cookies are also made differently. Crackers are often made by layering dough. Cookies usually have sugar and other ingredients. They are made more like a small cake. In the United Kingdom, crackers are sometimes called water biscuits. They are also known as savory biscuits.
Different Kinds of Crackers
Crackers come in many fun shapes. You can find them round, rectangular, or triangular. Some crackers even have irregular shapes. Crackers can have cheese or spices mixed in. Some even have chicken flavor. For example, In a Biskit crackers come in many flavors.
Saltines and oyster crackers are popular. People often eat them with soup. Other similar crackers include cream crackers and water biscuits.
Cheese crackers are made with cheese as a main ingredient. Some well-known brands are Cheez-It, Cheese Nips, and Goldfish.
Graham crackers and digestive biscuits are a bit different. They are often thought of more like cookies. Both were first made because people thought they were healthy. Graham crackers are also sweet.
Gallery
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Arare, small Japanese rice crackers
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Bagel chips
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Cheez-It crackers made by Kellogg
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Cheddar cheese flavored Goldfish crackers
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Graham crackers which are lightly sweet rather than savory
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A bowl of oyster crackers
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Japanese Senbei rice cracker
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Triscuit shredded wheat crackers
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Trio of Water biscuits: Left: Supermarket own brand, Right: Excelsior from Jamaica, Top: Carr's Table Cracker
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Beaten biscuits are a relative of crackers
See also
In Spanish: Cracker (alimento) para niños
