Would a cob be the equivalent of an American biscuit?
Posted by Other_Big5179@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 64 comments
there are many people that call them scones but i realize a cob is a dinner roll...
Aromatic-Eye-1075@reddit
No. Its a bread roll basically.
JazzyJ967@reddit
I'd say a plain scone that is a tad dryer than it normally is would be the equivalent of an American biscuit.
MrJellyPickle01@reddit
You mean a cob like a bread roll, batch, balm cake, etc? If so then no. And a biscuit isn’t like a scone either. They look similar but aren’t. Biscuits are savoury, and flakey rather than crumbly. They are pretty good when piping hot with the right kind of gravy. Not the same gravy as in the UK though, often peppery and lighter in colour, and much thicker.
Source: American Wife, and I’ve been there a lot for obvious reasons.
foodie-verse73@reddit
I've always thought American biscuits sounded very similar to dumplings (brain trying to create familiar link with something else served with a warm, savoury, umami sauce). Have you had both?
Secundum21@reddit
American here—biscuits can be flakey, layered, OR crumbly. In fact, southern “biscuits and gravy” are more likely to be (and absolutely should be!) the crumbly variety, as are the “famous” Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits. A savoury scone is a pretty good comparison to good, homemade southern biscuits. And yes, white gravy, or better yet sausage gravy, is the only acceptable sort!
Nulleparttousjours@reddit
As a Brit who has spent lots of time in the states and eaten a lot of American biscuits, the ones I ate were pretty crumbly and instantly reminded me of a savory scone.
wireswires@reddit
Agree, my best description of a US biscuit is a savoury scone!
ColossusOfChoads@reddit
It's one of those things that seems to vary regionally.
Booboodelafalaise@reddit
British biscuits can be sweet or savoury. They can be crumbly or flaky. Neither kind are ever eaten with gravy.
Savoury biscuits tend to be thinner and more like an American cracker. They can be eaten with butter or cheese.
Sweet biscuits come in lots of different flavours, and include layered types like Oreos with various fillings. They frequently dunked into a cup of tea or coffee before being eaten.
Source: English, born and bred.
Fyonella@reddit
Also, you’ve used Oreos as an example of a biscuit when it’s probably the most American biscuit I can think of! 😂
elementarydrw@reddit
r/confidentlyincorrect
Silver-Climate7885@reddit
They're asking if a bread roll (cob) is the same as an American biscuit as in what they have with biscuits and gravy (looks like a scone but savoury) no misinformation I can see in any of the replies.
Indigo-Waterfall@reddit
You’re getting confused. They’re not talking about what we call biscuits. Biscuits in America are an entirely different thing (similar to scones as above) not cookies like our biscuits.
Keen_Whopper@reddit
A cob is equivilent to the cylinrical interior of a maize ie corn on the cob.
Astarel_369@reddit
No it's more like a savoury scone.
mebutnew@reddit
So a dumpling?
Astarel_369@reddit
yes thats right.
Mumfiegirl@reddit
Cob is a crusty round roll of bread
soopertyke@reddit
I was searching for the enlightened soul with the foresight to use the essential word. 'Crusty'
PicadaSalvation@reddit
American Biscuits are kinda like savoury scones but with lots of flaky, buttery laters
TheFrogWife@reddit
I think the only solution to this question is to find a biscuit recipe online and make some yourself, they seem indescribable for some reason so many as well make some and have a taste.
Elton brown biscuit recipe
If you're not up for making sausage gravy (the white gravy used in biscuits and gravy) they are delicious with butter and jam as well. Peach jam or apple butter are classic.
Agreeable_Fig_3713@reddit
Eh? A con is a horse. Well a pony.
Cirieno@reddit
It's also a spider. Hence cobweb.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/cobweb
DisorderOfLeitbur@reddit
And a male swan
100LittleButterflies@reddit
Do Brits not have ears of corn? It's such a staple in the states. Once the green of the ear is removed and it's just corn, it's called a cob.
JTitch420@reddit
I think we look down on corn, other than fibre there isn’t a lot going for it.
Corn fructose syrup should be banned from the world imo
FinalCalendar5631@reddit
Corns beans and squash are the original dietary and nutritional trifecta in North America, actually. There is nothing inherently wrong with corn. “Three Sisters”
Sky Woman buried her daughter in the “new earth.” From her grave grew three sacred plants—corn, beans, and squash. These plants provided food for her sons, and later, for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people.
Complete proteins: The complementary amino acids in the Three Sisters form complete proteins, which can help eliminate the need for meat in the diet.
Essential nutrients: The Three Sisters contain all nine essential amino acids, complex carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids.
JTitch420@reddit
Well thank you for that information, I don’t eat meat so thank you again. All we learned about the three sisters was the Native Americans were the first to practice symbiotic farming.
FinalCalendar5631@reddit
I’m personally thankful for being the descendant and beneficiary of the wisdom of a long line of women who were by no means farmers. It would be so lovely to see any person with an interest who has access to a small individual garden or small shared garden cooperative allotment be informed sufficient to plant a perfectly balanced vegetarian yield sufficient to nourish the body. Our ancient version of farming was much more aligned to cooperative subsistence garden produce: my great-grandmother raised sons 6’0 -6’3 during the great depression in what was considered worthless mountain land to people who did not understand how little was truly needed to sustain the body and flourish during even the most challenging economic conditions. The tradition has been sustained by a mother and her young children caring for a garden and it worked well. I recommend trying out a vegetarian succotash recipe and if you enjoy the nutritional and savings benefits, gardening to yield the produce is an excellent and achievable way to ensure access to a perfectly nutritionally balanced and affordable food supply with very little time, effort, and resources invested. Farms are excellent for society, but small gardens are a gift to any family who will never run any real farming operation.
UnicornStar1988@reddit
It’s called corn on the cob over here.
Few-Comparison5689@reddit
Most people call it corn-on-the-cob when talking about an ear of corn. Just the word "cob" could mean a horse or a bread roll. depending on where in the UK you are.
Agreeable_Fig_3713@reddit
Dunno. I’m in Scotland and the answer up here is no unless you’ve got a poly. A cob up here is a pony.
DaveTheWraith@reddit
a cob is a bread bun
generalscruff@reddit
Nah it's a bread roll
East Mids represent 💪
Sean_13@reddit
And the west Midlands
ThiefOfMinds@reddit
My family calls them a “bap” from West Midlands
Sean_13@reddit
Interesting, I've only ever heard them called cobs in Birmingham
ThiefOfMinds@reddit
I’m from Shrewsbury, but my family is from the Black Country. And I’ve only ever heard it called “baps” I understand “cob” but honestly I thought that was a northern thing to call them.
Reasonable-Cat5767@reddit
Agreed. A draft pony.
Agreeable_Fig_3713@reddit
I’ve a cob x Clydesdale and a highland pony
Reasonable-Cat5767@reddit
Well aren't you a lucky horse rider ❤️
Agreeable_Fig_3713@reddit
Oh I dunno like. Dig a hole in the ground and flung your money in is more accurate
Impressive_Ad2794@reddit
Nah. You can always dig that money back up.
Start a fire and just keep throwing money into it every day.
dowker1@reddit
I've never eaten corn on a horse
Horace__goes__skiing@reddit
Is it not more like a scone?
_FreddieLovesDelilah@reddit
I don’t know what either of those are.
One_Loquat_3737@reddit
I doubt if many here will know what an American biscuit is. If I hadn't had biscuits and gravy once whilst visiting, neither would I.
Words like cob are highly regional in meaning, it seems, and may not even mean the same thing in two places in England. In part of the East Midlands where I used to work, a cob was a specifically crusty (hard thin crust) thing about the size and shape of half a large grapefruit - my go-to lunch was one of those cut into a sandwich and filled with grated cheese and raw onion slices. Amazing!
Colourbomber@reddit
West Midlands call it cob as well
ThiefOfMinds@reddit
My family is from West Midlands and everyone here calls it a bap not a cob
Colourbomber@reddit
We call a soft roll a bap.
A crusty is a cob
ThiefOfMinds@reddit
We’d call them both a bap
House_Of_Thoth@reddit
I bet the wife loved those 😋
One_Loquat_3737@reddit
Single in those days, that's probably why!
StepUpYourLife@reddit
Does KFC not have American biscuits over there?
Silver-Climate7885@reddit
No, but Popeye's uk does, but I'm unsure if they're actually anything like the USA biscuits. I had one with my Popeye's meal and it was lovely
thewearisomeMachine@reddit
No
Hamsternoir@reddit
Any type of bread roll is a cob in Leicestershire, not just the crusty ones. But it'll depend on who you are talking to.
SattvaRex@reddit
Might be isolated London talking but I've never heard it been called a cob before
That's got to be made exclusive for corn bread if it isn't already lmao
Silver-Climate7885@reddit
A cob is a bread roll, think of something like a Hawaiian roll, but less sweet and a crusty lid, atleast that's what a cob is in the northwest (cob means a few different types of bread roll depending on the area)
lt-pivole@reddit
American biscuits are a milky quickbread with a high fat content and soft crust Cobs are conventional yeasted bread rolls typically with a hard crust
MissKellieUk@reddit
Nope. Imagine French bread but in a smaller, round format
Gnarly_314@reddit
When I worked at a deli, cobs were slightly smaller than fist-size and had a hard crispy crust. To use it for a sandwich, you would definitely need a plate to catch the crumbs as you flattened it enough to be able to bite it. Then there were baps that were softer, flatter, larger, and would often have spread enough to link with other baps. Finally, there were fancy rolls that were small made of different flour types such as granary, wholemeal, or white with poppy seeds on top.
None of these would be like an American biscuit. The closest equivalent would be a plain scone without any sugar added.
LopsidedLobster2@reddit
Not really, a cob is a bread roll. I think the closest thing in terms of texture in the UK would be a scone but they’re normally sweet or cheesy. We don’t really have an equivalent to biscuits and gravy
RRevvs@reddit
A scone is roughly equivalent to an American 'biscuit', a cob/roll is usually a 'bun'.