What is the difference between saltine crackers and oyster crackers

Crackers have been made for centuries in numerous countries all over the world, and countless recipes for crackers were undoubtedly brought to the New World by settlers in the Americas. The origins of the oyster cracker appear to lie in , when a man named Adam Exton introduced the crackers to Trenton, New Jersey.

At first, only one baker picked up the trend, but others quickly followed suit when they realized the popularity of the small crackers. The Northeastern US continues to be associated with these crackers, and several area companies continue to make the crackers for export around the United States. Usually, oyster crackers are left plain so that they do not interact adversely with the soups they are served in.

Some bakers add things like thyme , green onions , or exotic spices such as turmeric. These crackers can add a bit of zest to an ordinary soup. The crackers may also be used in seasoned snack mixes, in which case they are coated in seasoning and baked to serve as standalone crunchy snacks. Home Cooking.

Log In Sign Up. Want to stay up to date with this post? Log In or Sign Up to comment. Entertaining The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving by Kristin Donnelly The best way to cook a stress-free dinner is to think ahead, which is why we've created this comprehensive Trending Discussions. The main difference between oyster crackers and saltines, aside from the shape, are the ingredients used in each. Oyster crackers contain flour, yeast, higher amounts of shortening or oils , sugar, salt, and baking powder.

That may seem like a small distinction, but it makes a noticeable difference on the palate. Believe it or not, besides sharing similar ingredients, these two snacking staples have little else in common! Their respective histories are unique and interesting!

This is clearly seen in cookbooks of the era that were loaded with recipes for everything imaginable involving oysters — from broiling, to pickling, in pies, as soup, on toast and more! As luck would have it, a man named Adam Exton recognized this growing trend and developed a cracker specifically for oyster stew. After arriving in America by way of England in , his innovation was the development of a rolling machine that both eliminated the risk of contamination from human handling and also dramatically sped up the cracker making process.

The two companies remained fierce competitors for over years until OTC acquired the Exton company in