Kiwi food favourites: The tasty tales of Anzac & Afghan biscuits
Published on Wed Dec 4 2019 in Community
Who doesn’t love a biscuit? Whether you’re enjoying morning tea, snacking after school or sneaking a few before bed, biscuits are a go-to treat right across New Zealand. As we’ve done with other food favourites, Kiwis have even put their own spin on many sugary nibbles.
Two biscuits have especially made their way into New Zealand homes and hearts: Anzacs and Afghans. Interestingly, the history of these biscuits both contain a bit of mystery and possibly military connections!
Anzac biscuits – The Homefront favourite
The Anzac biscuit is easily New Zealand’s most patriotic treat. Named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in the First World War, these biscuits fill our bakeries and groceries every April.
We’re happy to share this sweet treat with the Aussies, but just like the pavlova, there’s a friendly rivalry behind its origins!
The birth of Anzac biscuits
Though diggers may not have eaten Anzac biscuits themselves, those supporting them back home certainly did. These rolled oats biscuits were sold to raise money for the war effort. This tradition has lived on, with the RSA selling special tins of Anzac biscuits every year during their fundraising appeals.
Though today we closely associate Anzac biscuits with the First World War, they’re much older than that. Similar biscuits using rolled oats were already popular before the war began. They went by other names at that time, like “surprise biscuits” and “crispies”.
In fact, the war may have made this type of biscuit even more popular. They contained ingredients that were easy to come by and were quick to make—a good combo for people looking to raise money and be mindful of wartime food shortages. It’s likely that women in New Zealand renamed a rolled oats biscuit recipe they already had to help boost its fundraising appeal.
Aussie or Kiwi?
As for who first named them Anzac biscuits, we must do a bit of digging through old cookbooks.
The first printed use of “Anzac biscuits” is found in the War Chest Cookery Book, published in Australia in 1917. However, the recipe for these isn’t what we know today. These biscuits used eggs and were sandwiched together with jam and cream. Yummy sounding yes, but not what we’re looking for.
Jump to New Zealand, where the 1919 edition of the St. Andrew’s Cookery Book includes a recipe for “Anzac Crispies”. This biscuit is almost identical to the Anzacs we now make, with rolled oats, golden syrup and no eggs. The only ingredient missing is desiccated coconut, which doesn’t pop up in any early Anzac biscuit recipe until the mid-1920s.
However, Australia still has a good claim on naming the Anzac biscuit. A notebook belonging to a South Australian woman contains a recipe for Anzac biscuits that’s thought to have been written down sometime in 1919. Whether she got it from a Kiwi friend or someone else, we may never know!
Afghan biscuits – A New Zealand mystery
The Afghan biscuit is a true Kiwi creation. These buttery treats, filled with crispy cornflakes and topped with rich chocolate and a single walnut, are beloved around the nation. We enjoy them just about any time—morning tea, during the holidays, after school—and no community bake sale is complete without a plate of these biscuits!
But for all their popularity, no one really knows where they came from or even how they got their name.
The Edmonds Cookery Book
First published in 1908, the Edmonds Cookery Book is New Zealand’s best-selling book with over 3 million copies sold. The cookbook began as a marketing tool for Edmonds baking powder, promoting recipes featuring the company’s products. It was an important part of Kiwi kitchens for decades and a favourite gift to give newly engaged couples. You might own a copy yourself or remember your mum or nan using theirs!
Afghan biscuits first appeared in the Edmonds Cookery Book during the 1940s. However, the authors didn’t credit where they got the recipe or explain the name. All we know is that Afghan biscuits were well-known enough to be included in the book by this time.
What’s in a name?
Though no one knows for sure, there are some theories for how Afghan biscuits got their name.
One is that the biscuit represents the landscape of Afghanistan. The crushed cornflakes represent sand, while the chocolate icing and walnut call to mind the country’s mountains. Another theory is that the biscuit is meant to resemble an Afghani man wearing a walnut “turban” atop his head.
These explanations may hint at the origins of the biscuits. People have speculated that this exotic eastern-sounding name may be tied to British and New Zealand soldiers fighting in the Anglo-Afghan wars or during the First World War. No direct evidence has been found to back this up, so the history of Afghan biscuits will remain a mystery for now!
Let’s get baking
The stories behind Anzac and Afghan biscuits might be a bit mysterious, but there’s no mystery as to why Kiwis love them. The smell and taste of each no doubt bring back memories of baking each with your own family. Passing these recipes down through the generations will no doubt create more precious memories for years to come.
Learn more NZ history by reading about how Kiwi women got the right to vote.
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
Sources
National Army Museum, The Real ANZAC Biscuit Story
The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia strikes a blow in the battle for the Anzac biscuit
ABC, Anzac Day 2018: Who made the first Anzac biscuit?
NZ History, Edmonds cookery book
Atlas Obscura, Afghan Biscuits
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