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Marie biscuit facts for kids

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Marie biscuit
Galleta María.jpg
The most widely known María biscuit is Fontaneda, now owned by Mondelēz
Type Biscuit
Place of origin United Kingdom
Created by Peek Freans
Main ingredients Wheat flour, vegetable oil (palm oil in most recipes, sunflower seed oil in e.g. Norway and Finland), vanilla

A Marie biscuit is a type of biscuit similar to a rich tea biscuit. It is also known (in various languages) as María, Mariebon, Марія and Marietta, amongst other names.

Description

The biscuit is round and usually has the name embossed upon its top surface, the edges of which are also embossed with an intricate design. It is made with wheat flour, sugar, palm oil or sunflower seed oil and, unlike the rich tea biscuit, is typically vanilla-flavoured.

History

The Marie biscuit was created by the London bakery Peek Freans in 1874 to commemorate the marriage of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia to the Duke of Edinburgh. It became popular throughout Europe, particularly in Portugal and Spain where, following the Civil War, the biscuit became a symbol of the country's economic recovery after bakeries produced mass quantities to consume a surplus of wheat. Marie biscuits have become popular in South Africa after going into production by Bakers Biscuits in 1898.

Consumption

Malaysian batik cake
Marie biscuit used to make batik cake, a type of chocolate cake (similar to the hedgehog slice) popular in Malaysia and Brunei.

Many consider that the plain flavour of Maries makes them, like rich tea biscuits, particularly suitable for dunking in tea. Other popular methods of consuming the biscuit include using two to make a sandwich with butter and Marmite or condensed milk spread in between; covering it with golden syrup; or crumbling it up in custard and jelly (gelatin dessert). Marie biscuits are frequently served to children, and to infants who may be served the biscuits softened in milk as their first 'solid' food. Marie biscuits are also a common ingredient in home-baking recipes. In India, Marie biscuits are dunked in hot tea.

In Spain, natillas custard is typically served with a Maria biscuit on top.

Natillas-caseras-con-galletas-restaurante-chipiona-venta-aurelio
Spanish natillas, typically served with a María biscuit on top

In Uruguay, they are served filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with shredded coconut. In Brazil, they are soaked in milk and then stacked in layers of chocolate and vanilla-flavoured custard cream, with whipped cream and crushed cashew nuts on top to make pavê, a popular Brazilian dessert. In Ireland, the biscuits are known as Marietta and manufactured by Jacob's. In Malaysia, people use them mainly for making batik cake.

Manufacturers

The major international manufacturers (initially sorted by country name):

Country/Region Producer Brands
 Argentina Arcor Maná
Arcor Vocación
 Australia Arnott's Biscuits Holdings Marie
 Belarus Slodych, confectionery factory Marierta
Confectionary Factory Spartak Mariya (Мария)
 Belgium Delacre Maria
 Bolivia La Suprema María Bonita
 Brazil Fábrica Fortaleza Maria
Piraquê Maria
Richester Maria
Vitarella Maria
 Canada President's Choice Maria
 Costa Rica Pozuelo Maria
 Denmark KelsenBisca Mariekiks
 Ecuador Nestlé Ecuador S.A. María
 Egypt Biscomisr Marie
 Finland Kantolan (Made in the Netherlands for Orkla Confectionary & Snacks Finland) Kulta Marie
 Germany Patisserie Gunz Maria
 Hong Kong The Garden Company Limited Marie Biscuits
 India Disha Foods Treff
Bonn Food Industries Mariebon
Britannia Industries Marie Gold, Vita Marie
Parle Products Marie
ITC Limited Marie Light
DK Bakings Kolkata Nutribake Morning Marie
 Indonesia CV Jaya Abadi Marie Regal Biscuits
Mayora Roma Marie Gold, Roma Marie Susu
 Ireland Jacob's Marietta
 Japan Morinaga & Company Marie (マリー)
 Jordan Universal Industries Co. Ltd. Zalloum Group Marie or ماري
 Kenya Manji Food Industries Ltd. Marie
Kuwait Kuwait Flour Mills & Bakeries Co. Marie ماري
 Libya Muhab Food Co. Benghazi Marie Biscuits
 Lebanon Ghandour Food Marie Biscuits, Lucky 555
 Malaysia Hup Seng Perusahaan Makanan (M) Sdn. Bhd. Ping Pong Marie
Hwa Tai Industries Bhd. Hwa Tai Marie
Munchy Food Industries Sdn. Bhd. Munchy's Marie
Perfect Food Manufacturing (M) Sdn. Bhd. Julie's Marie
 Mauritius Esko & Co ltd. Marie
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Gamesa Galletas Maria
Goya Marias
 Norway First Price (NorgesGruppen) Mariekjeks
Sætre AS Marie
 Netherlands Pally Holland Mariakaakje
Verkade Maria
 Panama Productos Alimenticios Pascual S. A. Maria
 Pakistan English Biscuit Manufacturers Peek Freans
 Philippines Republic Biscuit Corporation Marie, Marie Time, Marie Munch, Marie Gold
 Portugal Cuétara, Moaçor, Triunfo, Vieira de Castro Bolacha Maria, Bolacha Maria Oro
 Saudi Arabia United Food Industries Corp. Ltd. Co. DeemaH Marie
 Singapore Khong Guan Biscuit Factory (S) Pte. Ltd. Marie Biscuits, Small Marie Biscuits
 South Africa Bakers Blue Label Marie Biscuits, Cappuccino Marie Biscuits
Baumann's Marie Biscuits
 Spain Gullón María Leche, María Dorada, María Hojaldrada
Grupo Siro María Clásica, María Dorada, María Hojaldrada, Mini María
Cuétara María, María Oro, María Hojaldrada
Fontaneda (Mondelēz International) La Buena María
Marbú (Artiach) Marbú Dorada
 Sri Lanka CBL (Munchee) Tikiri Marie, Marie Light, Rice Marie, Chocolate Marie
Cargills (Ceylon) PLC Kist Marie
Daintee Ltd Daintee Marie
Luckyland Luckyland Marie
Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Limited Gold Marie, Light Marie, Chocolate Marie, Premium Marie
Manchester Foods Pvt Ltd (Bisma) Ceylon Marie
 Sweden Göteborgs Kex Guld Marie
 Syria Katalina Foods  
 Thailand Laemthong Food Industries Co. Ltd. Laemthong Marie
 Turkey Şimşek Biscuits & Foods Gorona
ANI Biscuits & Foods Marie
 Ukraine Zhytomyr Confectionary Factory ZhL Mariya (Марія)
Yarych Confectionary Factory Mariya (Марія)
Kharkiv Biscuit Factory Mariya (Марія)
 United Kingdom Crawford's Marie
McVitie's Marie
 United States Iberia, Goya Maria cookies
 Uruguay Kraft Foods Maria de Famosa
El Trigal Maria Rika
 Venezuela C.A. Sucesora de Jose Puig & CIA Maria Puig
 Vietnam Kinh Do Corporation Cosy Marie
 Yemen Yemen Company for Industry and Commerce Marie
 Zimbabwe Lebena Marie
Lobels Marie
Arenel Marie

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Galleta maría para niños

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