Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic So, Jaffa Cakes are not a product of the Jaffa in SG-1

Glad I could solve the mystery, then.

And yes, they are salty, as the name suggests. The dough itself isn't particularly anything. It's not salty or sweet. It's pretty dry. Just something thin and crunchy, really. But it's then sprinkled liberally with salt crystals. Kind of like a pretzel, but with less taste and substance.

They're usually served with soup. Alternatives would be oyster crackers or croutons, which serve the same purpose. You get something to mix or crumble into the soup, or to idly and mindlessly chew on when the soup is gone and you know it'll be a while before the main meal arrives.

Meantime... Just finally checked out the article on Jaffa Cakes. According to Wiki, they're named for Jaffa Oranges (which are, of course, named for the city of Jaffa in Israel). Interesting.

So, different pronunciation. Still... I can't help but hear the voice in my head...

"Huzzah! We have freed ourselves - and the whole galaxy! - from Goa'uld oppression! This calls for a celebration! Jaffa, cake!"

(Which, yeah... not so different from Terry's comment. But that's how it sounds in my head.)

Hmmmmm. In Swedish, we call all kinds of crackers "kex". It doesn't matter whether they are sweet or salty. Cookies are either kex or "kakor" (one "kaka" - many "kakor".)

This, however, is a typical "kaka" to me:



I don't know if you can see it, but this "kaka" has no icing or filling of any sort. It is a relatively boring and very typical "kaka". Here is another "kaka", equally typical:



Boring. Blah.

This is a much nicer "kaka", with some delicious filling:



This is something even nicer, a "tårta"! I find it so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that English-speaking people would just call it a "cake"!



This is a traditional "jordgubbstårta". It has sponge bottoms and a filling of cream and strawberries, and then it's decorated with cream and strawberries, too.

We Swedes eat "jordgubbstårta" a lot at this time of year, around midsummer. And I would like it to have a more impressive English name than just a "cake"!

Ann

Hmm. The second picture looks suspiciously like a bread to me. Banana bread, for example, can seem somewhat cake-like:


But I guess it would depend on texture and such, since pound cake can also have a very similar appearance:



For the record, though, I believe your "tarta," though in the cake family, could actually be classified as a torte ( pictures ), a distinction Bobby Bigmouth would be sure to make. (Not to be confused with "tart," which is a sweet and sour fruit pastry resembling a dense pie.)

(Apologies to our friends on dial-up. Hadn't meant to make things so picture-intensive here all of a sudden...)

Ooooh. Pretty cake pictures. /me suddenly feels hungry.

Saltines sound like they'd be much nicer with soup than bread. Although, I guess with my blood pressure I'm barred, even if I could buy them here.

LabRat (off to find lunch...)

Oh! A torte! That's it, Paul! I'll call our "jordgubbstårta" a strawberry torte from now on!

Ann

There are low-sodium saltines too (completely unstalted)... though not as yummy. The ingredients are just white flour, shortening, yeast, and baking soda, but I could sit and eat an entire box of saltines as is, though I prefer the salted versions.

They taste really good with a little cream cheese spread on top too... actually, with all the differences in food and names... do you have cream cheese in the various locations listed in the thread, as we know it in the States? It's just like it sounds: a soft, spreadable, yummy cheese (usually used on bagels).

And then, of course, there is the ultimate in chocolatey goodness. Behold! The fudge brownie:



Is it a cake? Is it a cookie? Whatever it is, it is gooooood.

The thing is, it occurred to me that bread also has salt in it. So it's entirely possible that if you did a comparison the saltines would have less salt than bread. Who knows? Sometimes, the results of a comparison are unexpected and the item you thought would have the most of...whatever...actually doesn't. Always pays to check.

LabRat

ooh this all looks so good!!
I'm suddenly very in the mood for something sweet!!