If I am not mistaken, there is a story going around that Jamaica has finally been able to produce water crackers. This baffles me because I have long been under the impression that our bakers have been making water crackers for almost 100 years.

My history tells me that the Jamaica Biscuit Company was founded in 1911 for the specific purpose of producing water crackers, a product which, at that time, was imported from America. After that, the company went on to make cream biscuits, soda crackers, saltines and a cookie resembling the famous OREO cookie.

Curiosity leads me to wonder which came first: the OREO, which was introduced in 1912, or the Jamaican 'cream between' that was enjoyed by generations of Jamaicans before we were seduced by sweet words from abroad. But what bothers me more is how our supermarket shelves are dominated by imported 'sweet biscuits' when Jamaica has been making biscuits commercially for at least 98 years. And now to hear that we are just discovering how to make water crackers!

I am, etc.,

KEN JONES

kensjones2002@yahoo.com