In Italian, biscotti means "twice cooked". The word biscotti is derived from "bis (twice)" and "cotto (cooked)". Biscotti is also the generic term for cookies in Italian. The dough is formed into logs and baked until golden brown. The logs are then sliced, and the individual biscotti are baked again to give them their characteristic dryness. The shelf life of biscotti are three to four months without preservatives or additives. Other countries have their version of this cookie are, Dutch rusk, French biscotti and the German zwieback.
History
Early Seaman's biscuits, also known as hard tack, probably were the first version of biscotti. They were the perfect food for sailors who were at sea for months at a time on long ocean voyages. The biscuits were thoroughly baked to draw out the moisture, becoming a cracker-like food that was resistant to mold. Biscotti were a favourite of Christopher Columbus who relied on them on his long sea voyage in the 15th century. Historians believed that the first Italian biscotti were first baked in 13th century Tuscany in the city called Prato.
