Keyword: MONASTERY | Bread

One of the most widespread foods, bread is greatly differentiated from region to region. As a base of probably all countries’ diets, it is sometimes a synonym of food or meal. For this reason, bread is metaphorically used on several occasions. It is a token of sharing and socializing, a way of saying that people are earning money, a religious symbol.

Bread is as old as the Neolithic. Back when humans settled in the same place and began farming and raising livestock, mixing flour (crushed grains) with water seemed a very good idea to make a nutritious food. Since then, it has evolved in terms of the flour used and the ingredients added. Egyptians found out that if the dough would ferment, the bread would be lighter. Romans invented the concept of bakery shops: shops specialised in baking bread to sell to customers. Then, during the industrial revolution, bread began to be mass-produced. Nowadays, it is recognised that artificial ingredients are not healthy and new solutions are being sought. Furthermore, people with allergies can already choose types of bread that take that into consideration.

Although quite ancient, bread has managed to remain modern. Sandwich, pizza and calzone, bun, toast, crouton are some of the dishes based on bread, but there are also soups, salads, main dishes or even desserts. You can buy bread everywhere and you can also bake it at home. There are even machines to help you with it. If you are imaginative, you can bake your own bread using different types of flour and adding original ingredients.

A life without bread is unthinkable for the majority of humankind. The truth is, few things make you feel at home like the smell of fresh bread. Therefore, bread has a past, but also a future, definitely. What future that will be, we will have to wait and see.