One of the most divisive food debates in British history has taken a new turn, as McVitie's has launched a product that aims to settle the argument once and for all. The Edinburgh-based manufacturer, known for its iconic Jaffa Cakes, has introduced a Jaffa Cake-flavoured Digestive biscuit, effectively creating a biscuit version of the beloved sweet treat.
The Origin of the Debate
Jaffa Cakes, first introduced in the UK in 1927, consist of a disc of orange-flavoured jelly topped with milk chocolate and a sponge base. Despite their name, fans have passionately debated whether they are biscuits or cakes due to their unique texture and appearance. They are sold in the biscuit aisle, measure only 2.125 inches in diameter, and are often enjoyed alongside or in place of traditional biscuits like Digestives and Rich Teas.
The New Product
The new Jaffa Cake-flavoured Digestives are available at Sainsbury's for £2.35. These biscuits swap the traditional sponge base for a Digestive biscuit, topped with a Jaffa Cake-flavoured layer. A spokesperson for McVitie's commented, "We're well aware of the nation's biscuit believers. In fact, we've spent years and a considerable amount of time proving that Jaffa Cakes (clue's in the name) are cakes. But we are setting the record straight once and for all, and it seems creating an actual biscuit is the only way forward. We hope cake and biscuit fans alike enjoy it, and that biscuit-believers across the UK can finally put the debate to bed."
Famous Biscuit Believers
Among those who argue that Jaffa Cakes are biscuits are cookery writer Nigel Slater, who once said, "Jaffa Cake is a biscuit through and through," and former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who stated, "In my humble opinion a Jaffa Cake is definitely a biscuit." The disagreement even reached the courts in 1991, when McVitie's was challenged by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise over the classification of Jaffa Cakes for tax purposes. The court ruled in McVitie's favour, deeming them cakes, but the debate has continued ever since.
Scientific Evidence
In 2021, Dr. Héloïse Stevance, an astrophysicist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, used artificial intelligence to settle the debate. She trained algorithms with nearly 100 recipes of traditional cakes and biscuits, then fed them two Jaffa Cake recipes. The algorithms unambiguously classified them as cakes with 95% and 91% accuracy. Dr. Stevance acknowledged that factors like size and placement in the biscuit aisle were not considered, but she concluded that these do not detract from the treat's true nature as a cake.
Conclusion
With the launch of Jaffa Cake-flavoured Digestives, McVitie's has created a biscuit that embodies the flavours of the original cake, hoping to finally end the debate. Whether this will satisfy biscuit believers remains to be seen, but the new product offers a tasty compromise for both sides of the argument.
