The Tim Tam Slam Australian Coffee Ritual

Have fun and take a sweet coffee break!

By
Syrie Wongkaew
Syrie Wongkaew
Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 06/19/19
Tim Tams and espresso
jessigreenny / Twenty20

The Tim Tam Slam is an Australian coffee break ritual. It goes by many names: the Tim Tam Slam, the Tim Tam Bomb, the Tim Tam Suck, and the Tim Tam Explosion. Whatever you decide to call it, your coffee break will never be the same.

What's a Tim Tam?

Tim Tams are the creation of Arnott’s, a famous Australian biscuit company that was founded in 1865. A substantial portion of the business is now owned by the Campbell's Soup Company.

The Tim Tam is one of Arnott's signature biscuits. It is a delightful construction of a chocolate biscuit with a chocolate cream center, all of which is then covered in chocolate. Though it looks like and tastes like a cookie, remember that Australians prefer to call them biscuits.

Tim Tams today go beyond the classic chocolate-covered biscuit. They're now available in dark or white chocolate, with a chewy caramel filling, or a double-coating of chocolate. No matter which you choose, they're all great candidates for the Tim Tam Slam, though the original is best.

How to Tim Tam Slam

The Tim Tam Slam is a fun way to enjoy your afternoon coffee break. It's an interactive process that lets you enjoy a sweet treat along with a tasty hot beverage. The ritual is done in a very specific manner and if it isn't done right, things can get messy.

  1. Prepare the hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and have it ready.
  2. Bite off each end of the Tim Tam.
  3. Place one bitten end of the Tim Tam in your mouth, and dip the other bitten end in the hot drink.
  4. Now suck, using the Tim Tam as a straw. As the hot drink is pulled through the biscuit, the structure of the biscuit and cream collapses.
  5. Once the drink reaches the tongue, pop the Tim Tam in your mouth before it explodes!

Origins

The Tim Tam Slam was the invention of either bored or creative (or both) Australians playing with their food. It caught on and was gratefully adopted by Arnott’s in their advertising campaigns.

For some reason, Arnott’s chose the name "Tim Tam Suck" over the other options. It's a little odd because "Tim Tam Suck" sounds more like the title of a complaint letter rather than a sensual assault-by-chocolate. Nonetheless, the company went with it.

The only complaint they are ever likely to hear is that there are only 11 biscuits per packet. Eleven is a prime number, and someone is always going to be short a Tim Tam. In that case, try picking up two packages when grocery shopping.