Aussies outraged by small detail on overseas Tim Tam packets: ‘Hate to break it to you, but…’
Aussie expats know all too well how difficult it can be being so far away from home—and the lack of availability of some of our favourite treats is one of the biggest drawbacks.
That’s why when someone new discovers a well-known Aussie food staple like Arnott’s Tim Tams available overseas, they get excited and spread the good news.
Recently, however, an expat had quite the shock when they opened up a packet of Chewy Caramel Tim Tams bought from a US supermarket and found something so infuriatingly small but so incredibly important that it left Australians everywhere enraged.
The tell-tale detail?
Our favourite Aussie biscuit was labelled a ‘cookie’.
The Aussie shared the discovery on the social media platform Reddit, also highlighting the significant cost: ‘The packaging is different, and it says cookies, but they also say they are made in Australia.’
Moreover, the marked-up cost of the overseas product, priced at $8.59 USD (equivalent to $13.65 AU), astonished many Tim Tam fans, given that the same item retails for just $3.50 in Australian supermarkets.
Biscuit lovers quickly weighed in on the choice of words.
‘How dare they call them cookies,’ said one person. ‘They are biscuits.’
‘Hate to break it to you, but they're not biscuits. They're bikkies,’ said another.
Meanwhile, others were quick to comment on the price.
‘Whoa, that’s expensive!’ exclaimed one user, though they admitted they’d still buy the Aussie favourite. ‘The packaging is completely different to the Australian ones.’
‘They don’t taste the same in my experience,’ shared another.
Another person explained the name change—that in the United States, biscuits are savoury, not sweet.
‘I know you're kidding, but biscuits are something else entirely in the US,’ they explained. ‘They're savoury things (which still blows my mind).’
A biscuit in America is usually ‘enjoyed as part of a savoury meal, served with meat and gravy’.
At the same time, however, manufacturers have to abide by different labelling laws in every country.
While we get why Tim Tams are called ‘cookies’ overseas, we're sticking to our guns and keeping the name ‘biscuit’ for our favourite treat.
Tim Tams became available in the US recently. In 2017, a representative confirmed that the popular Australian biscuit was being sold globally.
They confirmed the recipe remained unchanged and was offered in four varieties: Original, Classic Dark, Chewy Caramel, and Dark Mint.
Members, what's your take on this story? Does it matter to you that certain products from Australia are labelled differently in the US? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
That’s why when someone new discovers a well-known Aussie food staple like Arnott’s Tim Tams available overseas, they get excited and spread the good news.
Recently, however, an expat had quite the shock when they opened up a packet of Chewy Caramel Tim Tams bought from a US supermarket and found something so infuriatingly small but so incredibly important that it left Australians everywhere enraged.
The tell-tale detail?
Our favourite Aussie biscuit was labelled a ‘cookie’.
The Aussie shared the discovery on the social media platform Reddit, also highlighting the significant cost: ‘The packaging is different, and it says cookies, but they also say they are made in Australia.’
Moreover, the marked-up cost of the overseas product, priced at $8.59 USD (equivalent to $13.65 AU), astonished many Tim Tam fans, given that the same item retails for just $3.50 in Australian supermarkets.
Biscuit lovers quickly weighed in on the choice of words.
‘How dare they call them cookies,’ said one person. ‘They are biscuits.’
‘Hate to break it to you, but they're not biscuits. They're bikkies,’ said another.
Meanwhile, others were quick to comment on the price.
‘They don’t taste the same in my experience,’ shared another.
Another person explained the name change—that in the United States, biscuits are savoury, not sweet.
‘I know you're kidding, but biscuits are something else entirely in the US,’ they explained. ‘They're savoury things (which still blows my mind).’
A biscuit in America is usually ‘enjoyed as part of a savoury meal, served with meat and gravy’.
At the same time, however, manufacturers have to abide by different labelling laws in every country.
While we get why Tim Tams are called ‘cookies’ overseas, we're sticking to our guns and keeping the name ‘biscuit’ for our favourite treat.
Tim Tams became available in the US recently. In 2017, a representative confirmed that the popular Australian biscuit was being sold globally.
They confirmed the recipe remained unchanged and was offered in four varieties: Original, Classic Dark, Chewy Caramel, and Dark Mint.
Key Takeaways
- A tiny detail on a packet of Arnott's Tim Tams sold in the United States has sparked outrage amongst Australians.
- The packaging labels the popular Australian biscuit as a ‘cookie’, and it retails at a much higher price than in Australia.
- The Tim Tams still claim to be made in Australia despite their packaging and name change.
- This change in naming is due to the fact that in the United States, ‘biscuit’ refers to a savoury, not sweet, item.
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