The Bourbon (pronounced /ˈbʊərbən/[1] or /ˈbɔːbən/[2]) is a sandwich biscuit consisting of two thin rectangular dark chocolate-flavoured biscuits with a chocolate buttercream filling. It was voted the UK's number one biscuit in 2018.
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Alternative names | Bourbon cream, Bourbon, Chocolate Bourbon |
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Type | Biscuit |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Region or state | London |
Created by | Peek Freans |
Main ingredients | Dark chocolate-flavoured biscuits, chocolate buttercream |
The biscuit was introduced in 1910 (originally under the name "Creola") by the biscuit company Peek Freans, of Bermondsey, London, originator of the Garibaldi biscuit.[3][4][5] The Bourbon name, dating from the 1930s, comes from the former French royal House of Bourbon.[6] A 2009 survey found that the Bourbon biscuit was the fifth most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom for dunking into tea.[7]
The small holes in bourbon biscuits are to prevent the biscuits from cracking or breaking during the baking process, by allowing steam to escape.[8] Many other companies make their own version of the biscuit under the "Bourbon" name, including major supermarkets.[9]
McVitie's chocolate-coated Penguin biscuits are made with the same biscuit mix as their bourbon biscuit, but the filling is different.[10]
Etymology
It is commonly believed that Peek Freans chose the name based on the French House of Bourbon.[6]
References
- ^ "BOURBON | Definition of BOURBON by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ Amis, Kingsley (2 June 2011). The King's English. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-196191-0. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Schofield, Hugh (26 December 2014). "The link between bourbon biscuits and bourbon whiskey" – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ Prudames, David (25 Jan 2005). "Museum to remember birthplace of the Bourbon". Culture24. Retrieved 11 Dec 2009.
- ^ Hibbert, Colette (8 Feb 2005). "Biscuit factory makes 'comeback'". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 Dec 2009.
- ^ a b "Bourbon or Bourbon biscuit". Chambers Concise Dictionary. Allied Publishers. 2004. p. 144. ISBN 9788186062364.
- ^ "Chocolate digestive is nation's favourite dunking biscuit". The Telegraph. 2 May 2009
- ^ "This is why bourbon biscuits have holes in them". The Independent. 27 October 2017.
- ^ Gi, Melanie; zi (2020-09-01). "The best bourbon biscuits". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ @mcvities (September 5, 2018). "Hi there, thanks for your message. The biscuits within the penguin is the same as a bourbon but the chocolate and filling is different. :) Thanks!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.