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Your e-Mails

Chris Addison	Hello there, I'm an experienced figroll consumer, often having 4 a day, in addition to other biscuits. However, there's something about figrolls that confuses and worries me. Normally, a biscuit goes soft when left out of it's protecting biscuit tin. Instead, figrolls go hard! Why is this? Hope you can answer this problem I'm having Many Thanks, chris addison Chemistry Department University of Cambridge
	Nicey replies: Don't be confused and worried. The high moisture content of the fig paste contributes to the crusts soft nature, and on exposure to the air this tends to dry out. Now there are some who would say that this makes the fig roll a cake, which it clearly isn't, and if nothing else it proves that there are always exceptions to the rule. Also if you are ever in France try out the Figolu. This mini fig roll does not have the required bulk to maintain its correct moisture content and so appears to have already gone stale by the time it gets put into its pack.
Bob in Tokyo Fig Roll Review	Dear Mr. Nicey, I stumbled across your "site" moments ago when I did a "google" search for Lyons Fig Rolls, and I discovered the "internet" does indeed have a useful function for those inclined to a "modern" lifestyle. That the correspondent from Niigata found said fig rolls in her local supermarket is astounding, as the best I have ever been able to locate in Tokyo (my domicile for the past decade) has been the Jacobs "closed end" variety. I am heartened by the news. My chidhood favourite (and still now, come to think of it) was the open-ended, non-striated-casing type (by Burtons, was it not?) since these lent themselves best to "peeling" or "nibbling" of the casing before plunging into the lushious, fragrant core. Oh my!.....did anyone else get a cerebral rush like I just did? Eleanor might be pleased to know that if there is a branch of the Daimaru "Peacock" supermarket chain in Niigata she should be able to get Waitrose organic "Oaten" biscuits (a classic, fibre-rich, buttery, oat-crunch type - and a damn fine dunker!) along with a few other Waitrose top-end biscuit varieties and other British products (HP sauce, Original and Fruity!) hard to get at a reasonable price in Japan.   Anyway, I digress. My reason for this contribution is the query from Brian about Grantham gingerbread biscuits, a memory from his childhood in Newark on Trent. I can assure everyone in the biscuit-concerned world that this variety of biscuit is alive and well, and exactly, and delicious, as described. My mum used to make them (God bless her - she sends me Marks 'n' Sparks Extra Strong to keep me functional). Being Manchester folk, I'm not sure where she got the recipe, or even if it's actually an East-Midlands thing, despite the name. If it is, it's surely the best thing ever to come out of Grantham (oops...should I have said that?). I'll post the recipe as soon as I can get it from Mum.   Other matters (1): Taylor's Yorkshire for "a crucial hit" - life affirming on a hungover morning. And, does Co-op "99", an old favourite of mine, still exist? Other matters (2): It would be useful to have a contribution date for each correspondence or article on the "site". I have qualms, occasionally, about being out of date.   Cheerio, Bob in Tokyo.   P.S. Returning to fig rolls....open-ended, smooth casing is the best. I defy you to disagree.
	Nicey replies: Bob, It gives me a warm feeling to know that we are helping people across the world to locate proper biscuits. Hoorah, for the wonder of the interweb. Your point about the contribution date is a good one, I'll see what I can do. As to fig roll preferences, I think I nailed my colours to the mast in the original review.
Chris Hemmings	Mr. Nicey,   I would like to tell you a story, a true story at that, which deals with the magical properties of biscuit tins.  My biscuit tin is a clear glass one with a flowery white lid (not my own choice as i'm only 17 and haven't reached the stage where i could phesably buy a bisciut tin for my own enjoyment.  Obviously my own choice would have been more mettallic, but that it neither here nor there). I have recently completed my Gold duke of edinburgh expedition in the Brecon Beacons, and after completing the long walk, stopped at my campsite, and enjoyed a nice packet of biscuits (Fox's Crinkle Crunch), a cup of tea, and a lovely sit down.  However, due to lack of biscuits being avaliable on my walk (5 days), my stomach had actually shrunk to the extent that i couldn't finish the whole packet.  Thusly, not wishing to waste these lovely biscuits, i decided to put the remainder of the packet in my bag, and took them home.  I then found the biscuits again a few weeks later, sitting in their packet.  Much to my horror, i found that they'd gone soggy!  I couldn't bring myself to eat them. Despite this, i put the biscuits into the biscuit tin anyway, and left them for a day or two, having lost all hope of ever salvaging them.  I then went back to the tin, tried a biscuit, and low and behold, it was crunchy again!  and delicious too!  To this day i believe the biscuit tin to have truly magical biscuit healing properties.  I do hope that this advantage isn't overlooked in the ongoing 'biscuit tin Vs. fancy packaging' war. P.S.  i am also a great fan of fig rolls, they are a truly superb and greatly adaptable biscuit.  Suitable for almost any occasion.
	Nicey replies: Chris, Thank you for that tale of the paranormal properties of the biscuit tin. I shouldn't be surprised if that turned up in an episode of the X files as they are really scratching around for plot lines now. I'm sure that come your 18th birthday when you'll be able to drink in pubs and vote, you'll also be able to choose a biscuit tin of your own, should you wish. Five days with out biscuits does indeed deserve an award from the Duke of Edinburgh.
Fuhr David (Mr D)	Fig rolls are the work of Beelzebub. Revolting chewy gungy things. They are also responsible for destroying the essential "al dente" nature of other biscuits. I once made the mistake of putting a single fig roll in a tin with biscuits of many other persuasions. Within 24 hours it had completed its satanic work - every other biscuit in there  had  gone all soggy and disgusting. And the fig roll was unchanged. I consider this to be proof that fig rolls are evil, and must be eradicated. Also: You should be aware of Peperidge Farm "Nantucket" chocolate chip cookies. Oh. My. God. Expensive, very bad for you, but incredible.
	Nicey replies: Thank Fuhr David (Mr D) for your opinion. Of course the best way to eradicate Fig Rolls and prevent them altering the micro climate of the biscuit tin is simply to eat them all in one sitting. Presumably your chocolate chip cookies are expensive because they incur a journey to "Nantucket" to buy them.
Eleanor Oguma	Most gratified to find your site and the fig roll special today, the day when I discovered that my local foreign food shop here in Niigata now sells Lyons' fig rolls. On the Arnotts of Australia theme, in addition to Tim-Tams (rather nice, but I still prefer the Penguin), Arnotts do a v.nice chocolate-covered mint-cream-on-Penguin/Tim-Tam-type base biscuit. Unfortunately they don't tend to travel well in the post, and get stuck together. Surely there's a market for biscuit coolers for sending chocolate biscuits in the post to those of us living in foreign climes?
	Nicey replies: Woo, we've not had an email fro Japan before. Do you think you could persuade the locals to include biscuits in the tea ceremony, I'm sure they would approve.
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