The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

November is National Bread Month. In honor of this special occasion, the Wheat Foods Council would like to propose a toast (or, perhaps more fittingly, a piece of toast) to bread. 

Bread is among the most popular, most universal foods in the world. A critical component of diets across the globe, regardless of culture, race or religion, this essential nourishment is consumed in equal parts by the rich and the poor.

One of the oldest known prepared foods, the history of bread dates back to 10,000 BC. Our Stone Age ancestors were believed to have created solid cakes from stone-crushed barley and wheat. It was the Egyptians, however, who are typically credited with the art of making—and promoting—bread. (Early Egyptian writings urged mothers to send their children to school with a lunch that included plenty of bread (and beer!)

Ancient Egyptians weren’t the only ones to hold bread in such high regard. Bread is commonly referred to as a symbol of bounty throughout history. Bread is also believed to have played a critical role in what ethnologists refer to as the “great turning point for humanity”—the growth of settlements. In his book “Bread: A Global History,” William Rubel states that the ability to sow and reap cereals, the grains necessary for making bread, could be one of the main reasons why man settled in communities.

As time progressed, people became so accustomed to and dependent upon this essential food that bread—or, more accurately, the lack thereof—became the unlikely catalyst for major historical milestones. During the 18^th century in France, a shortage of bread was one of the triggers for the French Revolution.

Despite its storied beginnings, there was a time when “the best thing since sliced bread” was anything but. In 1942, Claude R. Wickard, the head of the War Foods Administration and the Secretary of Agriculture, banned pre-sliced bread in America. While the specific reasons behind Wickard’s ban remain unknown, conservation of resources played a significant part (specifically, the conservation of wax paper.) Not surprisingly, Wickard’s ban was wildly unpopular with the American public and was rescinded three short months after its introduction.

Today, thousands of years after its creation, bread remains one of our country’s most popular foods, with each American consuming, on average 53 pounds of bread per year.  Bread’s symbolism also stands the test of time, as the concept of “breaking bread” endures as representation of the uniting power of a meal and a universal sign of peace.

And so, in honor of National Bread Month, let us raise our sandwiches, our pizzas, our rolls. To bread: enriched or whole grain; loaves or sliced; leavened or unleavened; baked, steamed, or fried. Over the years you have fed the masses, spurred disputes, and symbolized everything from fertility to eternal life. Regardless of form, grain, or color, you have played a pivotal role in the history of civilizations worldwide. Happy National Bread Month!