Ginger snap facts for kids
Ginger nut biscuits made by Arnott's Biscuits
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| Alternative names | Ginger nut, ginger biscuit |
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| Type | Biscuit |
| Main ingredients | Powdered ginger, spices (commonly cinnamon and nutmeg) |
A ginger snap (also called a ginger nut or ginger biscuit) is a yummy biscuit that tastes like ginger. These crunchy treats get their flavor from powdered ginger and other spices. Common spices include cinnamon, molasses, and clove. There are many different ways to make them. The crispy ginger nut you buy in stores is like an old-fashioned "fairing" biscuit. Fairings were once sold at market fairs.
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Ginger Snaps Around the World
Ginger nuts are sometimes confused with pepper nuts. Pepper nuts are a type of gingerbread. They are smaller and thicker than ginger snaps.
Popularity in the UK and New Zealand
In 2009, McVitie's Ginger Nuts were very popular in the UK. They were the tenth most popular biscuit to dunk into tea.
Ginger nuts are the most popular biscuit in New Zealand. People love their tough texture. This texture makes them perfect for dipping into drinks without breaking. Griffin's, a big biscuit maker, says they make about 60 million ginger nuts each year! This huge number even became the title of a book about New Zealand records.
Australian and North American Varieties
In Australia, Arnott's Biscuits makes ginger nuts too. They have four different kinds! Each one is made to suit what people in different parts of Australia like.
In Canada and the United States, these cookies are usually called ginger snaps. They are often round drop cookies. They are usually thin, about 3 to 6 millimeters thick. You can often see cracks on their top surface.
Northern European Ginger Biscuits
Northern European ginger biscuits have different names. In Danish, they are brunkage (meaning "brown cookie"). In Swedish, they are pepparkakor. In Finnish, they are piparkakut. In Latvian, they are piparkūkas. In Estonian, they are piparkoogid. And in Norwegian, they are pepperkaker.
These biscuits are usually rolled very thin. They are often less than 3 millimeters thick. They are cut into fun shapes. They are very smooth and much crispier than other ginger biscuits. Their flavor can also be stronger. Cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom are important ingredients in these biscuits. The actual ginger taste might not be as strong. Sometimes, allspice is also used to flavor them.
