Is there a more important resource than food? From the time we wake up in the morning, up until we go to bed, we are constantly eating something. If you had to guess, what would you say the most commonly eaten food is? If we were to guess, we’d say bread. Bread, made from flour, can take virtually any kind of form. From thick loaves of whole wheat to thin pita, the nature of bread simply makes it extremely versatile. Thanks to the pandemic, many people have taken a newfound interest in bread; some have even started to bake their own! Being the latest culinary object of fascination, we think it’s important to learn more about this carb-filled delight! Read below for some out-of-the-box bread wall art facts.
Sweden, War, Space, Culture, & Bans
- Here’s an odd one to start off with. Did you know that there is a hotel in Sweden that will care for your sourdough starter whenever you go on vacation? If you’re not aware of what a sourdough starter is, it’s essentially a mixture of flour, water and yeast that can only be kept “alive” by adding a small amount of water and flour every day. Starters are essentially bases for full loaves of sourdough that give it its unique sour flavor and thick texture. If you’re in Sweden, you can drop off your starter and keep it there for about $30 a week!
- Bread has always been important; it’s importance is actually amplified in times of war! During the start of the civil warm troops were housed within the US Capitol whenever Congress was out of session. Gigantic bakeries were constructed on the basement floor of the Capitol building in 1861, with a total of 14 ovens in all. These bakeries baked nearly 1,000 loaves of bread every day for the soldiers. The bakeries were dismantled in 1862.
- Space food is usually composed of MREs (meals-ready-to-eat), pre-prepared food that is scientifically engineered to be long lasting. Many astronauts have discussed these meals at length; they don’t think these meals are very pleasant to eat! In the 80s, an astronaut requested tortillas to be sent on his mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. His request was granted, but the bulk package of tortillas did not stay fresh enough for the several months that they were in space. Eventually, Taco Bell managed to develop their own brand of tortillas that were specifically designed to stay fresh for up to a year. NASA began using those shortly after release.
- Agriculture has existed for a very long time. Ever since the discovery and propagation of wheat, flour has existed right along side it. Want an example of how old bread is? An excavation site in northeastern Jordan called Shubayqa 1 had evidence of stone fireplaces! Within the fireplaces were ancient bread crumbs that had been preserved underground for nearly 15,000 years! Archaeologists believe that the Natufians, a Mediterranean hunter-gatherer group, had actually been baking bread at this location nearly 4,000 years before farming had become commonplace across the world.
- Rationing food products is a common way to help preserve food supplies during stressful times. In 1943 the then US Food Administrator, Claude Wickard, ordered a ban on all sliced bread as part of WWII wartime conservation. The specific reason for this, however, was somewhat unclear. Some people theorized that the ban on sliced bread was tied to paper production. Back then, sliced bread came in packages that separated each individual slice with waxed paper. People thought the government wanted to conserve on wax, paper and bread. That said, investigators and journalists found out that there was a surplus of wax paper. After this information was spread, the conservation order was removed three months after it had first been implemented. Did you enjoy these bread wall art facts?
Burritos, Funerals, Japan, Egypt & France
- Bread can be used to make many things. One of the most popular uses for bread is for making delicious sandwiches. In 2006, a Massachusetts judge ruled on a strange legal question: is a burrito a sandwich? This question was spurred by Panera Bread, a popular food chain specializing in sandwiches, brought on a lawsuit in order to stop a Mexican restaurant from opening a location near one of theirs. Panera argued that its lease in this specific center forbade the opening of nearby sandwich shops. Panera lost the case; the judge decided that burrito was not a sandwich because it was made with a tortilla, and not two slices of bread.
- There are many strange cultural customs surrounding the deceased. Did you know that in parts of England around the 18th and 19th centuries, families would place bread on the chest of their dead before burial? That family would then hire a person to eat the bread. It was believed that this bread absorbed a dead person’s sins before having their soul transported to the afterlife.
- Ever heard of panko? It a Japanese variety of breadcrumb that is baked using an electrical current. What’s unique about this breadcrumb is that the bread it’s made from doesn’t have a crust!
- A few years ago, a person devoted to the study of Egypt gained access to old baking vessels used to make bread and ancient types of Egyptian beer. This man, with the help of other scientists, was able to scrape off ancient yeast from some of the vessels. He turned this ancient yeast into his own started, and activated it. He turned this mixture into his own load of bread; he said it tasted noticeably sweeter and more rich than modern bread!
- Did you know that French toast is actually older than France itself? In the 5th century, it was known as “aliter dulcia” in the Roman Empire; the only difference between this and the current iteration of French toast, is that the Roman variety lacked and egg coating. Did you enjoy these bread wall art facts?
Conclusion
Bread has a long and storied history. Existing for nearly as long as the discovery of agriculture, bread is still something that people love to eat today! How do you like your bread? As a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Perhaps as a sandwich with turkey and cheese? Maybe you don’t even like sandwiches! You may prefer a nice piece of toast slathered with butter and honey! However you enjoy your bread, we hope you had fun reading more about this tasty treat. Thanks for reading these bread wall art facts.