For those well-versed in the intricacies of dunking biscuits, it can be hard to find fresh challenges on which to test their skills. While most people never advance beyond the humble Hob Nob or Rich Tea biscuits, other dunkers have a sense of gastronomic wanderlust which leads them to explore the boundaries of biscuit dunking and seek out daring new dunking opportunities that will surprise and delight their discerning taste buds.

These peerless pioneers have broken new ground in the art of dunking, experimenting with novel concoctions and combinations of comestibles in order to unearth previously undiscovered flavours and textures that no tongue has tasted before.

The proliferation of fruit and herbal teas in recent years has without doubt expanded the horizons of the more ambitious biscuit dunkers amongst us, but, for the truly adventurous, there are endless unfathomable depths of possibility out there just waiting to be plumbed one dunk at a time.

It’s important to remember that dunking biscuits need not be constrained to the confines of the teacup. It’s no great leap to plunge a random biscuit into a steaming cup of coffee instead – the mechanics are, after all, virtually the same – but how about dunking pink wafers into an ice cold vanilla milkshake? Or the spicy extravagance of dipping ginger nuts into a piping hot mug of Ribena?

To really get the most out of dunking biscuits, you have to think outside the tea caddy. Alcoholic beverages provide tremendous scope for the discerning dunker – from a festive feast of mulled wine and Christmas cake to the Celtic-flavoured pairing of Guinness and oatcakes, whole new vistas of dunking opportunities open up to those unafraid to learn new techniques and push their own personal envelope.

Dunking biscuits can be an endlessly rewarding pastime for those who are willing to let their creative curiosity run unbounded and throw caution to the wind in their search for new and exciting sensory experiences. Experimentation, improvisation and a disdain for convention are the key weapons in the arsenal of the seasoned dunker when it comes to discovering delicious new delights previously unknown to the human palate.

Posted on Tuesday, January 4th, 2011.