Saltine cracker

Asaltineorsoda crackeris a thin, usually square,cracker, made from whiteflour, sometimesyeast(although many are yeast-free), andbaking soda, with most varieties lightly sprinkled with coarsesalt. It has perforations over its surface, as well as a distinctively dry and crisp texture. It is normally paired with a variety of savory toppings, includingcheese(especiallycream cheese),peanut butter,hummus, various spreads likepimiento cheese, as well asjamorhoney. They are often crumbled intosoups,stews, orchili.
Some familiar brand names of saltine crackers in the Americas are Christie'sPremium Plus(Canada),Nabisco'sPremium(U.S.),Sunshine Biscuits'Krispy(U.S.),Keebler'sZesta(U.S.) (both owned byKellogg's), Molinos Modernos'Hatuey(Dominican Republic) andNoel's Saltín (Colombia). Unsalted tops as well aswhole grainsaltines can also be found.
Soda crackers were described as early as in the bookThe Young House-keeperby American physicianWilliam Alcottin 1838.
In 1876, F. L. Sommer & Company ofSt. Joseph, Missouri, started usingbaking sodaas aleavening agent(causing air bubbles) in its wafer-thin cracker. Initially called the Premium Soda Cracker and later "Saltines" because of the baking salt component, the invention quickly became popular and Sommer's business quadrupled within four years. The slogan, "Polly wants a cracker?" became popular in advertising and became synonymous with the brand entirely.That company merged with other companies to form American Biscuit Company in 1890 and then after further mergers became part ofNational Biscuit Company (Nabisco)in 1898.
In the early 20th century, various companies in the United States began selling soda crackers inPuerto Ricoand referred to them as "Export Soda". Rovira Biscuit Corp. of Puerto Rico also started selling their soda crackers with the same name. The term "Export Soda" became a generic term in Puerto Rico for these crackers. In 1975,KeeblerCo. was refused a trademark for the term because it was "merely descriptive".
In the United States, Nabisco lost trademark protection after the term "saltine" began to beused genericallyto refer to similar crackers; it appeared in the 1907Merriam Webster Dictionarydefined as "a thin crisp cracker usually sprinkled with salt."In Australia,Arnott's Biscuits Holdingsstill holds a trademark on the name "Saltine".
During theRoaring 20's, saltine crackers became a national favorite, and were well known where it was founded in Missouri.It was then produced and shipped to other parts of the United States, helping it grow during theGreat Depression.During this time, people needed inexpensive foods, and saltine crackers allowed for filler in foods to increase quantity or to make dishes more filling, for a low price.
Soda crackers are made in the United Kingdom byHuntley and Palmers, and in Australia and New Zealand under the brand name Arnott's Salada.
Saltines are commonly dipped or crumbled insoups,chilis,stews, and eaten with, or crumbled into,salads. Typically they are sold in boxes containing two to four stacks of crackers, each wrapped in a sleeve ofwaxed paperor plastic. In restaurants, they are sometimes found in small wrapped plastic packets of two crackers, which generally accompany soup or salad. Cracker meal, a type of coarse to semi-fineflourmade of crushed saltine crackers, may be used as toppings for various dishes; breading for fried or baked poultry, fish or red meats; or as athickenerformeatloaf, soups, stews, sauces, and chilis.
As a home remedy, saltines are consumed by many people in order to ease nausea, diarrhea (seebland diet), and to settle an upset stomach.
Saltine crackers have also been frequently included in militaryfield rations(Meal, Ready-to-Eat, or MRE) in the United States.
Saltines have been compared tohardtack, a simple unleavened cracker or biscuit made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. However, unlike hardtack, saltines include yeast as aleavening agent, which causes the dough to rise. Soda crackers are allowed to rise for twenty to thirty hours, thenalkalinesoda is added to neutralize the excessive acidity produced by the action of the yeast. The dough is allowed to rest for three to four more hours, to relax thegluten, before being rolled in layers and then baked.
Flat saltine crackers have perforations on their surfaces. During baking, the outer layer of the dough hardens first, restricting out-gassing of evolved gasses. The perforations connect the top surface to the bottom surface to prevent the cracker from pillowing as a result of these evolved gasses.