Who does not have an old recipe book or perhaps a notebook written by hand by our grandmothers who jealously guarded what today is aridly defined as “know-how” and which once consisted of knowing how to make traditional sweets and biscuits with skillful dexterity … As far as our specific field is concerned, it is true that each biscuit has its own history and its own why and if we browse the web we find that this is full of stories and anecdotes more or less documented or linked to legends and curiosities on the history of the various types of biscuits. Today I’d like to share and summarize with you some of these curiosities related to these inevitable protagonists with tea, breakfast or as a break. The most varied anecdotes link the origin of the biscuit already to ancient Greece, passing through the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages up to the nineteenth century when industrial production began its widespread diffusion thanks also to the classic teas of bourgeois saloons, where biscuits could not be missing. Among the “classic” products that have been successfully offered for generations we find the “Oswego“, a classic Anglo-Saxon biscuit that apparently owes its name (Oswego) to the city of the homonymous county in the State of New York at the mouth of the Oswego river, which in the ancient Iroquoian language (osh-we-geh) indicates a “place of pouring” (like a mouth). The analogy between biscuits and the mouth of the river would lie in the fact that a plant called Monarda Didyma grew in that area; such a plant was used by the Native Americans to obtain an infusion with a mint flavor. It is said that towards the end of the 1700s it was the natives who introduced this plant and its herbal tea to the settlers, which then began to be used as a substitute for traditional black tea, accompanied by biscuits that took the name of this herbal tea. Another example is the famous Oreo, whose name is the subject of various theories: it could derive from the French “or” (which would recall the original packaging in gilded paper); or from the Greek “oreos” (beautiful); or there would be an etymological reference to “oros” (mountains because originally these products had a pile of sugar on top, recalling the shape of a mountain); or they would refer to the syllables “RE” (in the word “cream”) enclosed between the two vowels “O” (of chocolate). As for the very popular “PETIT BEURRE”, attention must be paid to the true original version which would be made up of the 4 corners (the 4 seasons) with the 52 scalopped edges (52 weeks) and 24 holes (symbol of the 24 hours). And what about MARIE: a biscuit with a personal name! It seems to have been created in London by Peek Freans in 1874 to celebrate the marriage between the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrova of Russia and the Duke of Edinburgh. The DIGESTIVE, on the other hand, apparently owes its name to two Scottish doctors who in 1839 created a product that could facilitate digestion with ingredients that, at least at the time, were considered helping in digestion. A curiosity about this biscuit: it seems that Prince William is so fond of it, so much so that his wedding cake would have been a variant of our Chocolate Salami with Digestives instead of the Saiwa petit biscuits. At the end of this short journey we remind the SPECULOOS whose name could be related to the Latin “speculum” or “mirror” (by virtue of the specularity of the process where the forming mould is “mirrored” with respect to the biscuit itself), or it could always be related to Latin but this time to the term “species” or spices.… And the stories could go on. One thing is certain: whatever your favorite biscuit is to taste, to propose or to produce at an industrial level, relying on the long experience of Errebi Technology is a guarantee of the success of the final product, from the most classic to the most innovative ones, passing through reinterpretations in terms of engravings, resizing and weights of the product!

This distortion of the famous Christmas carol to remind once again the flexibility of Errebi Technology in offering you customized moulds based on your production needs. The ring construction allows extreme flexibility in terms of continuity of production, 100% reliable tests with the use of test rings, the possibility of interchanging the rings by diversifying the production of shapes according to seasonality. An example: a mould with interchangeable rings with “zoology” shapes. We can combine this with some extra rings with Christmas shapes, of course with the same dimensions and features as zoology products to ensure even baking. And by Christmas season we can continue our production of classical zoology with a Christmas note by simply replacing some of the zoology rings with Christmas rings, thus creating an assortment for the season: “jingle bells Jungle bells biscuits ….”! For more information dont hesitate to contact us.

Opposites are often said to attract. In the culinary field, creativity often manages to give life to harmony with curious and unique recipes. But what today is defined as a refined exquisiteness is perhaps born of a poor reality in which families, especially farmers, had their breakfast by putting together what they had available such as bread, honey and cheese. This tendency to mix sweet / salty is also spreading in the field of biscuits, naturally always studying everything carefully and respecting a certain balance. The approximately 10,000 taste buds allow us to identify the 5 main basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and unami. By a strange alchemy, sweet and salty that could not be combined magically work: if sweety or salty are are excessive, the combination of the two tastes works. One of the latest trends in terms of contrasts is represented by “pretzels” covered with chocolate and salt, an only apparent conflict of flavors. As Errebi Technology, we notice that this trend is increasingly affirming itself to possibly propose the same classic shapes that perhaps distinguish a particular brand, but with a new version that combines sweet ingredients with salty ingredients. From a technical point of view, the mould must be re-proportioned according to the new recipe which often requires an adjustment in terms of dimensions, with compensations that guarantee the same final product in terms of sizes. In fact, it is not uncommon for the same shape made with different recipes to have different sizes than the original after baking. Hence the importance of tests in production that can verify 100% dimensions, thicknesses and weights. And in this field, Errebi Technology has always been the first to offer a specific technology in the sector!

Salted biscuits or snacks are generally associated with a laminated process of hard doughs: dough sheet cut from a rotary cutter originating the most varied geometric shapes and more. However, even those who do not have a rotory cutting line can produce salted biscuits and snack, thanks to special rotary moulding rollers which, with some technical and technological adjustments give rise to products very similar to those made with rotary cutters. Once again the experience of Errebi Technology Spa proves to be able to produce a range of rollers for different types of products with specific technological devices. To find out more, we are available to discuss it and we invite you to contact us and visit our website www.errebi.net

They  say that it takes from 1 to 2 months to create a habit in our behavior. The period we leave behind has had an extraordinary impact on the way we live and relate, drastically changing even the most deeply rooted habits. We have definitely experienced months of challenges and changes on various levels (safety, health, sustainability, changes in our daily behaviors and attitudes as well as in our lifestyles). The online shopping experience that has grown exponentially (due to the characteristic of being safer from a health point of view) has however highlighted a recession in all sectors (from leisure time, to clothing, to education), except for the food sector. All of this is also found in our beloved world of biscuits: domestic consumption of baked goods such as crackers, snacks, biscuits; greater consumption of dietetic and / or health products with particular attention to the quantity with single portions, ideally 50gr / 8pcs, to keep fresh every time both at home and away from home (school, in the park); (lighter, thinner, with a more crunchy structure, vs the creamier stuffed products and therefore considered heavier from a dietary point of view): we recall the “thins” versions of many revisited products …, a sort compromise between staying fit and indulgence, considering that studies show an average weight gain of 5-6 kg per capita during the pandemic. Without forgetting the importance of packaging and the visual impact that combines dimensions, colors and images with evocations of the unique, natural and organic. And the trend towards organic and healthy was already growing before the pandemic. Covid-19 has only been a catalyst for the demand for organic and natural products to promote a stronger immune system. Packaging, as we have said, is important both for its visual impact (colors and images) but also for its quality since home deliveries have increased as well as online sales. Hence the concern to deliver an intact product. Attention to detail is also important, a small touch that can make the difference! Let’s remember how you eat with your eyes first! The increase in the consumption of biscuits was also favored by the lock down and consequent obligation to have breakfast at home. It is significant that there has also been a significant increase in the sale of coffee machines for domestic use! The approach between companies and customers has also undergone a great change. From telephone or email contacts with visits to the company crowned by international trade fairs, there has been an increase in virtual contacts via social media and the word “webinar” has now become part of our common language. Paradoxically, we are more in contact today through videoconferences and webinars than in the pre-Covid era thanks to the confidence and familiarity that we have all acquired with digital media. In short, another difficult period,  but we at Errebi Technology are always confident and with our gaze turned towards the future. And it is towards this better future that we also persuade our customers and friends to write many new projects together. We know that a new opportunity emerges from every crisis. And this is what we at Errebi Technology want to support with our partners. We also keep in touch on our website www.errebi.net with our posts on market news and trends in the “news” section!

Greetings to all, merry Christmas and Happy New Year!