LaIl '''digestive''' è un tipo di biscotto semidolce originario del [[Regno Unito]], sviluppato originariamente nel 1839 da due dottori scozzesi con l'intento di creare un prodotto che facilitasse la digestione.<ref name="Telegraph" /><ref name="mcvitie.brand.history">{{Cita web |url=http://www.mcvities.com/about-mcvities/brand-history |titolo=United Biscuits — McVitie's Brand History |urlmorto=sì |urlarchivio=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215145653/http://www.mcvities.com/about-mcvities/brand-history |dataarchivio=15 febbraio 2015 }}</ref> Storicamente, alcuni produttori usavano malto diastasico per "digerire" parte dell'amido della farina prima della cottura.<ref>{{Cita libro|titolo=Chamber's encyclopaedia: a dictionary of universal knowledge, Volume 2 |editore=J.B. Lippencott Company |anno=1888 |p=182 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fDtMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA182#v=onepage&q&f=false |accesso=7 aprile 2011|citazione=Digestive biscuits are prepared in such a manner that they may contain [[diastase]], the nitrogenous transforming matter of malt; but whatever quantity of this substance they may contain in the condition of dough is destroyed in the process of baking.}}</ref><ref>{{Cita libro|titolo=Pharmaceutical journal and Transactions |città=London |anno=1887 |volume=XVII |serie=Third|p=156 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-ZLKHNCbHoC&pg=PA156#v=onepage&q&f=false |accesso=8 aprile 2011|citazione=A new competitor in this field was Paterson's Extract of Malt, exhibited by the Phoenix Chemical Works, Glasgow; the odour and flavour of this was excellent, and it is said to be rich in diastasic power. Prepared from it was exhibited a series of digestive biscuits, rusks and bread by John Montgomerie, of Glasgow. In making these part of the starch of the flour is changed by being mixed with the malt extract and water and kept for some time at a suitable temperature; the yeast being probably added to another portion of flour and water, to form dough to mix with the above before baking. These biscuits seemed to be appreciated by visitors. Messrs. Hill and Son also exhibited some malted nursery biscuits. Benger's well known digestive ferments were well displayed, together with an essence of rennet recently introduced.}}</ref>
Dolce prominente nella cultura britannica, il digestive è uno tra i biscotti da [[tè]] da inzuppo più popolari del Regno Unito.<ref name="Telegraph"/>
