Triscuit is a snack cracker, made by Nabisco, which takes the form of square baked whole wheat wafers. It was invented in 1900, a patent was granted in 1902,[1] and the Shredded Wheat Company, in Niagara Falls, New York began production the next year.[2]
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Triscuit production began in 1903 in Niagara Falls, New York. The manufacturer boasted “Baked by Electricity.”
The wafer measured 2-1/4 inches by 4 inches and remained that size for nearly twenty-one years. At that point, the ovens were altered and improved and the cracker size changed to a 2 inch by 2 inch square.[2]
Triscuit are made from wheat which is first cooked in water until it reaches about fifty percent moisture content, then it is tempered, allowing moisture to diffuse evenly into the grain. The grain is formed into shredded wheat strands, by using slotted rollers. Webs are formed from the strands, then several webs are stacked together. The still moist stack of strands are crimped at regular intervals to produce individual crackers. The moisture content is reduced to five percent by oven baking.
In 1935 producers began spraying the crackers with oil and adding salt. The flavor remained constant until 1984 when additional choices were offered, and the crackers were made crispier.[2]
In 2008, the packaging was changed and again in 2011.
The plural of Triscuit is Triscuit, and the word Triscuits never appears anywhere on packaging made by Nabisco.