Around the World with Bread - The Journey Begins

​If I had to name one food that has had the greatest historical influence it would have to be bread. Geography, politics, agricultural practices, culture, ceremony, mysticism and religion have all been shaped by a simple concoction of flour and water.
 
Bread, for example was the reason for the first monoculture – wheat – and eventually led to agricultural practices that resulted in clearing large swathes of land. Bread formed the foundation of ancient religions, like the Eleusians who incorporated the sacred food into secret ceremonies that worshipped the goddess Demeter. Christ referred to himself as “the bread of life”, while in some cultures, the word “bread” actually translates to “life”.

At times, bread was the only food that sustained the poor and its scarcity had political implications. Lack of bread played a role in social uprisings like the French Revolution and Arab Spring. It precipitated the conclusion of the First World War and chased Napoleon home from Russia (well, that and winter.) Bread served as wages in Ancient Egypt and was used as compensation during the fur trade when voyageurs were given a regale during Rendezvous that included a loaf of bread. Wheat used to make bread was controlled in a way that controlled people, and lead, for example, to the genocide of Ukrainians during Holodomor.

While no one knows for sure exactly where or how bread was “discovered”, current archaeological evidence suggests that wild grains were first harvested and eaten somewhere in the area known historically as the “fertile crescent”. This part of the world includes modern day Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey among others. The Nile and Euphrates rivers fed and enriched the adjacent soils in such a way that a wide variety of plants flourished, including grass plants that produced grains. These grains were ground or pounded and eaten as porridge or cooked as flat cakes on hot stones near the fire.

At some point, perhaps by accident, a bowl of watery gruel was left out for a day. Maybe two. Or more. When it was finally discovered, a change had occurred that was monumental for the human diet. Yeast and bacteria had gone to work. The mix of water and ground up grain had fermented. When this mixture was exposed to heat, the first leavened bread was baked and we haven’t looked back since.

In some cultures, the word "bread" actually translates to "life".

The process of baking both leavened and unleavened bread from ground up grass seed spread throughout the Mediterranean into Europe and Asia and then travelled the world with explorers, traders and colonists.  Leavened, or yeasted, bread became the main, if not only, food source in many cultures throughout history because the fermentation process allowed our bodies to better digest the nutrients found in grass seed.

Today, almost every culture in the world eats some form of bread, from aish baladi to pulla to baguette to milk bread to bannock to ngira, bread is a vital part of our diets. Over the next few months, I’m going to take a trip around the world through bread, researching, testing and baking recipes and sharing what I’ve made right here with you.

Aish Baladi

Let's begin our journey with a recipe from the part of the world where it is commonly believed that fermented, leavened bread originated.

Aish Baladi, one of the most commonly baked breads of Egypt. "Baladi" means traditional or country and while the standard word for bread in Arabic countries is “khubz” (or a variation thereof) "Aish" means life. In Egypt, bread is life. That resonates with me.

​Click here for the recipe.