Back in Sydney, when I was lamenting the fact that we would not be able to snack on Tim Tams, Carmellos or Twisties in London, I was assured by a British friend that there was a Tim Tam substitute, the Penguin biscuit. She even dared to suggest that the substitute was better than the Tim Tam. A biscuit better than the Tim Tam, our national pride? Surely it's not possible.

Penguin sampling was one of the first things we did when we arrived in London. (Maybe it even happened before we saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace or the London Eye.) What is the verdict? Well, of course the Tim Tam is better. Firstly, a Tim Tam is covered in Australian chocolate, which tastes much better than English chocolate. Secondly, the biscuit bit of the Tim Tam is a chocolate biscuit and not a digestive biscuit. The Penguin taste sensation is a gritty combination of chocolate, malt and wheat. The Tim Tam is smooth, chocolatey goodness all the way.

Every one should pick their own side on the Tim Tam vs Penguin debate, and you can't really do that until you've tasted a Penguin. In the aid of research, I'm more than happy to send a pack of Penguins back to Oz, so you can decide for yourself. (In exchange for a value pack of Tim Tams of course *G*.)