Marie biscuit

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A Marie (also known as María) is a type of sweet biscuit similar to a Rich Tea biscuit. It is made with wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil and, unlike the Rich Tea biscuit, vanilla flavoring. The biscuit is round and has its name engraved into its top surface. The edges of the top surface are also engraved with an intricate design. While the Rich Tea biscuit is the most popular version of this biscuit in the United Kingdom, it is the Marie version that is most popular in most other countries, particularly Australia, India, South Africa, and Spain. Like the Rich Tea biscuit, many consider the Marie's plain flavor to make it particularly suitable for dunking in tea. Other popular methods of consuming the biscuit includes using two to make a sandwich with butter and marmite or condensed milk spread in between, covering it with golden syrup, and crumbling it up in custard and jelly. Marie biscuits are frequently served to children. Babies may be served the biscuits softened in milk as their first solid food. Marie biscuits are also a common ingredient in home baking recipes.

1 History
2 Manufacturers
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The Marie biscuit was created by an English bakery 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 Spain where, following the Spanish Civil War, the biscuit became a symbol of Spain's economic recovery after bakers produced mass quantities to consume a surplus of wheat.^[1]

[edit] Manufacturers

Major international manufacturers of the biscuit include:

Arnott's Biscuits Holdings, Australia
Blue Bird Foods, Uruguay, "Alidoro" brand
Bonn Food industries, India, "Mariebon" brand
Britannia Industries, India
Cuétara, Spain
Gamesa, Mexico
Grupo Siro, Spain
Kharkiv Biscuit Factory, Ukraine
Katalina Foods, Syria
Khong Guan Biscuit Factory, Singapore
Kinh Do Corporation, Vietnam
Marquez Brothers, Mexico, "El Mexicano" brand
La Moderna, Mexico
Morinaga & Company, Japan
Pally Holland, Netherlands
Şimşek Biscuits & Foods, Turkey, "Gorona" brand (also available in Cocoa, Orange, Lemon, and Banana flavors)
Confectionary Factory Spartak, Belarus
Disha Foods, India, "Treff" brand
Göteborgs Kex, Sweden
Lobels, Zimbabwe