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A saltine or soda cracker is a thin, usually square, cracker, made from white flour, sometimes yeast (although many are yeast-free), fat, and baking soda, with most varieties lightly sprinkled with coarse salt. It has perforations over its surface, as well as a distinctively dry and crisp texture. It is normally paired with a variety of savory toppings, including cheese (especially cream cheese), peanut butter, hummus, and various spreads like Pimento cheese, as well as sweet toppings like jam or honey. They are often crumbled into Soup, Stew, or chili.
Some familiar brand names of saltine crackers in the Americas are Christie's Premium Plus (Canada), Nabisco's Premium (U.S.), Sunshine Biscuits' Krispy (U.S.), Keebler's Zesta (U.S.) (both owned by Kellogg's), Molinos Modernos' Hatuey (Dominican Republic) and Noel's SaltÃn (Colombia). Unsalted tops as well as whole-grain saltines can also be found.
In 1876, F. L. Sommer & Company of St. Joseph, Missouri, started using baking soda as a leavening agent (causing air bubbles) in its wafer-thin cracker. Initially called the Premium Soda Cracker and later "Saltines" because of the baking soda component, the invention quickly became popular and Sommer's business quadrupled within four years. The slogan "Polly wants a cracker?" became popular in advertising and became synonymous with the brand entirely. That company merged with other companies to form American Biscuit Company in 1890 and then after further mergers became part of Nabisco in 1898.
In the early 20th century, various companies in the United States began selling soda crackers in Puerto Rico and referred to them as "Export Soda". Rovira Biscuit Corp. of Puerto Rico also started selling their soda crackers with the same name. The term "Export Soda" became a generic term in Puerto Rico for these crackers. In 1975, Keebler Co. was refused a trademark for the term because it was "merely descriptive".
In the United States, Nabisco lost trademark protection after the term "saltine" began to be used generically to refer to similar crackers; it appeared in the 1907 Merriam–Webster Dictionary defined as "a thin crisp cracker usually sprinkled with salt." In Australia, Arnott's Biscuits Holdings still holds a trademark on the name "Saltine".
During the 1920s, saltine crackers became a national favorite in the U.S. Though initially well known only where they originated in Missouri, saltines were soon mass-produced and shipped to other parts of the United States. The cracker gained further popularity during the Great Depression, owing to its affordability and versatility as a filler in dishes such as soups and meatloaf.
Soda crackers are made in the United Kingdom by Huntley and Palmers, and in Australia and New Zealand under the brand name Arnott's 'Salada' and Nabisco 'Premium'.
As a home remedy, saltines are consumed by many people in order to ease nausea, diarrhea (see bland diet), and to settle an upset stomach.
Saltine crackers have also been frequently included in military (Meal, Ready-to-Eat, or MRE) in the United States.
Flat saltine crackers have perforations on their surfaces. During baking, the outer layer of the dough hardens first, restricting out-gassing of evolved gases. The perforations connect the top surface to the bottom surface to prevent the cracker from pillowing as a result of these evolved gases.
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