"My Favorite Snack Was Originally a Medicine? Come to Think of It, the Name..." [Delicious Stories]

The Biscuit Created by Doctors: Digestive
Originally Developed as a Digestive Aid, Not a Snack
Transformed into a Biscuit Thanks to the "Secret Recipe"

Editor's NoteThe first snacks are believed to have been discovered in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. In other words, snacks have been with humanity at every moment of its history. From biscuits and chocolate to ice cream, we share the delicious stories behind the snacks we love.

Digestive, a biscuit with chocolate spread on a thick biscuit base, is an essential treat when enjoying coffee or black tea. However, it was originally developed not as a snack, but as a medicine. Let’s take a look at Digestive’s eventful 200-year journey of transformation.

Digestive: The Biscuit Created by Doctors

The original of Digestive, McVitie's Digestive Biscuit. McVitie's Website

The original Digestive was a whole wheat cookie called "Digestive" developed by McVitie's. In Korea, it is sold by Orion. In the past, Orion produced Digestive through a technology partnership with McVitie's, but after the license expired, Orion began manufacturing the product independently under its own brand name "Dige".

McVitie's, the creator of the original Digestive, is a company with a long history founded in the 1830s. The history of Digestive is equally deep. In 1839, two doctors from Scotland in the United Kingdom invented the first Digestive biscuit, and since then, Digestive has grown into a representative British biscuit brand. During the 1800s, when the British Empire was at its peak, Digestive was exported not only across Britain but also to colonies around the world.

Belief in Soda’s Digestive Power

However, Digestive was not originally sold as a snack. True to its name, Digestive (from the English word meaning "to aid digestion") was a digestive aid and was officially sold as a medicine in pharmacies. Why did the developers of Digestive classify it as a digestive medicine? The early Digestive biscuits were made from whole wheat, making them rich in fiber, but most importantly, they contained a large amount of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). In the 19th century, doctors believed that baking soda helped with digestion, which is why Digestive was regarded as a digestive aid.

Sir Alexander Grant (left), who invented the "secret recipe" that transformed Digestive into a delicious biscuit, and the London export factory of Digestive from the late 1800s. McVitie's website

Digestive was sold at pharmacies. In the 1800s, urban workers in Britain suffered from a lack of fiber due to poor-quality diets, resulting in chronic indigestion. Digestive gradually gained popularity through word of mouth.

However, the early Digestive was not a delicious biscuit. The surface was rough, and the texture was too hard. Digestive transformed from a medicine that people reluctantly chewed and swallowed into a snack in 1892, after British processed food inventor Sir Alexander Grant created a so-called "secret recipe." Sir Alexander reinvented Digestive into a softer and crispier biscuit by using various ingredients such as lard and butter. McVitie's patented this recipe and began exporting Digestive worldwide.

From Medicine to a Global Snack

After changing its identity from medicine to snack, Digestive underwent even further innovation. In 1925, the modern version of Digestive was introduced, featuring chocolate spread on top of the whole wheat biscuit base. This version has continued to win the hearts of consumers ever since.

Of course, Digestive is no longer regarded as a digestive medicine. To clarify this, McVitie's added the term "Sweet meal biscuit" after the brand name, emphasizing that it is indeed a snack.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.