The History of Bread

The Very Beginning

The earliest bread may have appeared as far back as 30,000 years ago and was made from cattails and ferns. The first iteration of bread is best described by dailyhistory.org who wrote the following, “The earliest bread… made from cattails and ferns… pounded into a fine substance using primitive mortars… that date to nearly 30,000 years ago”.  This shows just how extremely long the concept of bread has been around for and the ingredients first used in making it. The use of non-domesticated plants in the creation of the original bread does show that bread, at least in its early form predates the ingredients used in the making of our modern bread such as wheat, a plant created by domesticating emmer 12,000 years ago.

The Romans & The Grain

The Romans made bread from grains such as oats and rye, a massive improvement from mashed ferns and cattails. According to dailyhistory.org this use of grains started during the time of the Romans. Dailyhistory.org wrote the following, “From the Roman period, we learn… of bread made of oats, groats, and rye”. This paints a picture of a more modern idea of bread, a bread made of grains. Regardless the bread made by the Romens was still a far cry from the sliced bread people purchase at the grocery store.

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

 You have more than likely heard the phrase: this is the best thing since sliced bread, The phrase refers to the invention of sliced bread. History.com wrote the following in regard to the sale of sliced bread, “The first automatically sliced commercial loaves were produced on July 6, 1928, in Chillicothe, Missouri…”. This shows that sliced bread is a relatively recent innovation in the history of bread with production starting less than a century ago. Sliced bread in spite of being a relatively new product can be found in all grocery stores in one form or another and is a commodity used in almost every home. That overwhelming success is the direct result of sliced breads versatility, its used in all sorts of snacks and meals from grilled cheese and ham sandwiches for lunch to tiny finger sandwiches served at parties. In spite of breads current amazing uses, it’s always important to remember the long history it has from mashed ferns to the tasty treat it is today.

Works cited:

“What Is the Historical Development of Bread.” What Is the Historical Development of Bread – DailyHistory.Org, www.dailyhistory.org/What_Is_the_Historical_Development_of_Bread. Accessed 23 June 2024.

“Origins of Bread and Bakery.” Origins of Bread and History of Bakery, www.historyofbread.com/bread-history/history-of-bakery/. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Hirst, K. Kris. “Which Society Cultivated Wheat First?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 9 July 2019, www.thoughtco.com/wheat-domestication-the-history-170669#:~:text=It%20was%20domesticated%20at%20least%2012%2C000%20years%20ago%2C,from%20a%20still-living%20ancestor%20plant%20known%20as%20emmer.

A&E Television Networks. (2023). Who invented sliced bread?. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/who-invented-sliced-bread