Rusks, Hardtack, and Biscotti

There is a whole range of baked goods that have an exceptionally dry mouth-feel, generally because they have been baked two times or baked once and then allowed to dry out, making them very long-lasting. The words used for a pair of examples of these baked products are “biscuit” and “zweiback,” both of which literally mean “twice-baked,” in Old French and German, respectively. In English, they are commonly called rusks, biscuits, or crackers.

A particular type of rusk, hardtack, was originally made simply from wheat or rye flour, water, and salt. It has a long history. Since the time of the Roman legionnaires, hardtack has been used as a reliable, nonperishable food on military campaigns and later it became a staple on long voyages in the days of sailing ships. Over the years it has taken on a number of forms in different countries, but it is now mostly used as a form of survival food, whether in rations or for rescue missions. Hardtack is sometimes crumbled and added to soups, especially fish chowders, to add texture.