SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013
Wheat
Grains
Rye
By Laurie Triefeldt
Barley
Anpan is a Japanese
sweet bun filled with red
or white bean paste.
Rice
A bread’s taste, texture and nutritional value depend largely on
what type of grain is used to make
it. Grains are the seeds or fruits of
grasses. Cereal grains are named
for the Roman goddess Ceres.
Bread can be made from many
kinds of grains. Historically, the
type of bread people made was
determined by what type of grain
was grown in their region.
Leavening agents
Through the centuries, people from all cultures have made
some kind of bread. Bread has been an important food since
ancient times. Making bread is not difficult; the earliest
breads were made by grinding a grain into flour, adding
water or milk, and baking the dough on hot stones. There are
hundreds of delicious kinds of breads. Here are just a few.
A leavened bread typically has
had yeast added to the dough.
Leavening is a sort of fermentation. The leavening agent creates
bubbles, causing the dough to rise
and become light. Sourdough was
the first leavened bread.
Yeast, baking powder, baking soda
and eggs can be used as leavening
agents.
Naan is an oven-baked flatbread
popular in India and the Far East.
Bagels
are found
worldwide.
They are
often topped
with sesame
or poppy
seeds.
Challah is
a braided
egg bread
made by
Jewish
people for
Shabbat.
Bao, also known as baozi, is a
Chinese steamed bun made with
meat or vegetable fillings.
A powerful symbol
In many cultures, bread is symbolic
of the harvest and fertility. People
around the world break bread together as a symbol of peace.
Bread also plays a role in many
religions. For Christians, communion bread is symbolic of the body
of Christ, and hot cross buns commemorate Lent and Good Friday.
Jewish families celebrate the coming of the Sabbath with challah.
In ancient Egypt, bread could be
used as currency. Today, money
is sometimes called “dough” or
“bread.”
Did you know?
According to a Food Institute Report, U.S. sales of fresh bread and
rolls totaled $5.8 billion for the 52
weeks ending August 11, 2013.
Wheat is grown in 42 of the U.S.
states. In Canada, it is mostly
grown in Saskatchewan, Alberta,
Manitoba and Ontario.
Pita is one of the most ancient
of breads. It originated in the
Middle East, but is found worldwide today.
Cuban bread has a toasty crust and
soft middle, similar to white French
and Italian breads.
Rye bread originated in
Germany and is a hearty
alternative to white bread.
Pan de
Muerto is a
Mexican bread served on the
Day of the Dead (November 1
and 2). This sweet, egg bread
is decorated with a skull or
other bone shapes.
Pretzels are a European bread thought
to have originated in
German monasteries
of the Middle Ages.
Fry bread is a Native American
bread traditionally made by the
Navajo peoples.
The first commercial bread slicing
machine was invented in 1928 by
an American named Otto Rohwedder. By 1933, 80 percent of all
bread sold in the U.S. was sold
sliced. It was around this time that
the phrase “the best thing since
sliced bread” was coined.
Before erasers were invented,
people used a rolled-up piece of
white bread to erase pencil marks.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
recommends Americans eat
6 ounces of grain-based foods
every day and that at least half of
that should be whole grain.
Focaccia
bread
originated
in Italy and
the Mediterranean. It is topped
with herbs and
spices and can be
served instead of
garlic bread.
Tortillas are a flat, unleavened bread of Mexico. This
bread has been made for
thousands of years.
Farmer’s bread
is often darker and
more textured, being
made from whole grains.
Soda bread has many variations, but traditionally it
is a yeast-free bread made with sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda). Native Americans used potash as the
leavening agent to make this bread.
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LEARN ABOUT HOLIDAY COOKIES IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF WORLD OF WONDER
As a flatbread, pizza dates back to
ancient times. Early versions of baked
flatbread topped with a variety of ingredients were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks,
the ancient Egyptians and other Mediterranean peoples. Tomato sauce was not
added until the 16th century.
SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book
Inc.; The World Encyclopedia of Bread by Christine
Ingram; www.americasheartland.org; www.suu.edu;
http://whyeatbread.com; www.wheatworld.org