SAO is a BISCUIT in AUSTRALIA
Posted By drsao on March 28, 2008
I am part of a group of WONDERFUL QUILTERS from all over the world – we are united by the fact that a lot of us have now made two quilts together. The first was the CAROLINA CROSSROADS MYSTERY QUILT designed by Bonnie K. Hunter (I have posted a picture on my blog) and the second was also a Bonnie quilt – the SCRAPPY BARGELLO SUPER BOWL 2008 QUILT (see my earlier blog entry for a picture.)
A lot of us in this group chat via e-mail to talk about our quilts! It is absolutely GREAT FUN!
We are all excitedly looking through our fabric stash to get ready for the next mystery from Bonnie (at www.quiltville.com) which will be the ORANGE CRUSH QUILT and will begin April 1. I am still playing with my material to decide on the colors. We are to have 3 main colors plus an accent color – and 1 1/2 yards each of scrappy 2″ light strips and scrappy 2″ dark strips. I will post my colors when I finally decide!!!
Whenever I post a message to our online chats I use my initials SAO because Shirley Albertson Owens is a LONG NAME! I have learned some interesting things about these initials. First, years ago, one of my university students from Vietnam asked me why I wrote “WHAT” at the bottom of her papers? It turns out that sao in Vietnamese means “WHAT.”
And now I just found out that there is an SAO BISCUIT in AUSTRALIA that is quilte famous! Lissa – from Australia – who is one of the WONDERFUL QUILTERS from Bonnie’s World sent me this FANTASTIC AD (SEE BELOW) about a biscuit (cookie) with my initials!
Goodness – now I am having a craving for an SAO BISCUIT! Too funny!
Sao
SAO has been Australia’s favourite savoury cracker for nearly 100 years. This large, square, flaky cracker was first launched in 1906.
The origin of the name remains a mystery, although plenty of myths abound. One is that it was the name of a ship that used to call in at Newcastle port, and its captain was a friend of the Arnott family. Another is that it was the name of a sailing boat that was seen on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, where William Arnott had a house. Or it could be the initials for Salvation Army Officer, as William Arnott’s son, Arthur, joined the Salvos. Another is that it is based on the initials of Samuel Arnott, William’s son. Whatever its origin, the name has become deeply etched in our language.
SAOs were also one of the first biscuits to be heavily advertised in magazines and newspapers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1960s, the famous SAO song was launched. SAOs light texture is achieved by rolling the dough into thin sheets, then carefully layering it to give distinctive bubbles and crumbs.
tehee.. you are crackers thats for sure SAO
the Newcastle port and Lake Macquarie menionted in the biscuit blurb is EXACTLY where I live.. the port of Newcastle is about 20mins from here, and Lake Macquarie is the largest salt water lake in Australia, and also one of the largest council shires and thats where I lives… :O))
Glad I could help out…
Lissa