Once named “Rolled oat biscuits” or “Soldiers’ biscuits”, the history of Anzac biscuits dates back to a time when wives and mothers’ groups would bake treats to send to troops overseas because the ingredients did not spoil easily and they kept well during naval transportation.
They have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), which was established in World War I.
The earliest known recipe combining the words “Anzac” and “biscuit” is a 1916 recipe for “Anzac Ginger Biscuits,” which was published in June 1916 in a Perth newspaper. However, this recipe contained no mention of oats. The first recipe for something called “Anzac Biscuits” appeared in a Sydney recipe book in 1917, but this was also different from what we now know as Anzac Biscuits.
The first recorded instance of the combination of the name “Anzac biscuit” and the recipe now associated with it was found in Adelaide, dating to either late 1919 or early 1920. These early recipes did not contain desiccated coconut, which is present in many modern Anzac biscuits.
The first recipe for an Anzac biscuit containing desiccated coconut is recorded to be from Adelaide in 1924.
However, the Anzac biscuit has been used throughout the 20th and 21st centuries to commemorate Anzac Day and celebrate the efforts of Anzac soldiers.
While much is contesting about whether an Anzac bickie should be chewy or crispy, crunchy or soft, the tradition has lived on.
Today, Anzac biscuits are manufactured commercially for retail sale. Because of their historical military connection with the ANZACs and Anzac Day, these biscuits are still used as a fundraising item for the Royal New Zealand Returned Services Association (RSA) and the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL).
Special collector’s old-style biscuit tins with World War military artwork are usually produced in the lead-up to Anzac Day and sold in supermarkets, in addition to the standard plastic packets available all year. Unibic produces the official RSL biscuit under licence.
Legal Issues: The term Anzac is protected under Australian law and cannot be used in Australia without permission from the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs; misuse can be legally enforced, particularly for commercial purposes. Likewise, similar restrictions on naming are enshrined in New Zealand law, where the Governor General can elect to enforce naming legislation.
There is a general exemption granted for Anzac biscuits, as long as these biscuits remain basically true to the original recipe and are both referred to and sold as Anzac biscuits and never as cookies.
