What is a digestive in England?
 

I'm reading a novel set in London and they are eating chocolate digestives. What are they? Not X-lax I hope.

Hi Bobby, <BR> <BR>Digestives are a particular cookie (called biscuits in the UK). They are sort of like a thick graham cracker, or, even more, like a ginger snap. They are quite dry, actually, and delicous, we think, although they are simple, not glamorous (perhaps the basis for the name "digestive". <BR> <BR>You can buy them topped with chocolate, sometimes jam-filled. Great with afternoon tea. <BR> <BR>We go to the UK twice a year and always return with 20 packages. <BR> <BR>Jeanne

You can get digestive biscuits in Canada as well. I'm surprised that you don't get them in the US. We had a gift basket given to us just before Christmas and there was a small package of chocolate digestives in it - I made the mistake of opening them and by the end of the day, they were gone!

You can also mail order them. Do a search on the internet for British foods. There are several companies selling all sorts of British foods on line. And yes, they are yummy! Especially the chocolate ones!

Yes, a yummy chocolate biscuit. Circular, about 3 inches in diameter and a quarter inch thick. Quite dry and crumbly, but nice and sweet. The chocolate ones come with either milk or plain chocolate. <BR> <BR>No idea why they're called 'digestives' - they have nothing to do with laxatives!

Hm, some confusing replies. <BR> <BR>Digestives are indeed closest to Graham Crackers if you want to compare them to American cookies, and I use them to make graham cracker crust. I don't understand the gingersnap comparison, as they have no ginger in them. <BR> <BR>They aren't chocolate biscuits -- but you can buy them chocolate coated (on one side usually). <BR> <BR>Doug

You can order McVities digestives and other bikkies at http://www.britmart.net/, or a few like Rich Tea biscuits through http://www.bbcamerica.com <BR>They're often available at many big city supermarkets in the US, all over the place in Canada.

Plain chocolate digestives are heaven! There is always an open packet around when I am having my tea. We love them in the UK. Plain digestives are nice but the chocolate on one side is delicious! <BR> <BR>McVities make the best. They are NOT X-Lax! <BR> <BR>B <BR>x <BR> <BR>

Actually, I have seen digestives at the local Albertsons (grocery store) here in the US in the Intl section. Also an Intl Foods store carries them (along with alot of other heavenly foods!)

With embarassment I confess I ate an entire roll of chocolate covered digestives while on the bus from London to York. Yummmmmm

A little clarification for newcomers to the Wonderful World of Digestive Biscuits: McVitie's calls their digestives "Home Wheat Biscuits." As others have said, they are the best (and I've tried 'em all). <BR> <BR>

It was a miserable slimy mess floating on top of my tea this morning. Dunk with discretion. <BR> <BR>Not chocolate though. I don't like dunking chocolate digestives.

The reason they are called Digestives is because they are have high fibre content.

I noticed digestives in a Scotish catalog and generalized that most british export shops would have them. I've found them at both of our local Irish shops. <BR> <BR>Next year I'll know better than to only bring back 2 packs.

And plain (non chocolate) digestives are often used in recipes as the base of a cheesecake... <BR> <BR>It's very therapeutic to put them into a plastic sandwich bag and hammer away with the rolling pin or some such blunt instrument, especially if you had a bad day. <BR> <BR>I also tend to find that if I open a packet of choccie digestives (dark choc, mcvities, naturally) that they dont last long (and no one else in my house eats them so i know exactly how naughty i have been) <BR> <BR>also agree only the plain ones are good for dunking... <BR> <BR>Kavey

So do you get digestives when you go to tea, or is just something that is eaten at home?

Look no further, gentle readers! <BR> <BR>http://shop.bbcamerica.com/ukgoods/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=1 <BR> <BR>I count no fewer than 3 different sorts of digestives - go wild (at a price)! <BR>:-)

I just looked at the link Tracy left - OUCH, very very expensive! However, I recommend the plain chocolate hobnobs, once you start eating them you cant stop, the chocolate on them is yummy! We get free packets of them here at work every week :-) <BR>Karen