For many Western cultures bread is probably the most essential kind of food and always has been. Bread filled our ancestors' stomachs for thousands of years and still is staple food for us. Nearly every time when I have to do my shopping, there is always 'bread' at the top of my shopping list. I'm going to show you how bread is present in our everyday life and share some bready slices of fun facts with you.
The most common varieties of bread are white bread, wholemeal bread, multigrain bread , rye bread, and flat bread. Of course, there are also bagels, baguette, ciabatta and many many more. And because it is Easter time I shall not forget to mention the Easter bread, or the Austrian variety 'Osterpinze'. (not this)
Bread and language
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary the word 'bread' comes from Old English meaning "cooked food" or "piece of food".
The word 'bread' does not only appear as something you can eat but also metaphorically in idioms and proverbs.
- a breadwinner is a person whose earnings are the primary source of support for a family
- below the breadline : to live in poverty, having nothing to eat
- someone's bread and butter : someone's basic income, the source of one's food; "I worked as a bartender for a year, and it was the tips that were my bread and butter."
- Murphy's law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong...in other words: Bread always falls on the buttered side
- the greatest thing since sliced bread : the most wonderful invention for a long time
- to know which side one's bread buttered on: to be good/loyal to the person that you will benefit from
- man can not live by bread alone: in order to live a good life, people need more than food but things like love and peace
Bread and music
Whole Wheat Bread is a punk band from Florida. I've not heard about them before and it's not entirely my cup of tea. Or slice of bread?
Bread and literature
For Christians the significance of bread is symbolised in the story of the Last Supper when Jesus shared bread and wine with his followers. It is written...
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
The poem Bread and Music by Conrad Aiken illustrates a lost person, maybe a lost love, and how they used to share bread and listen to music together. Everything reminds the narrator of this one person who is gone now and so he feels lonely without this person.
The science-fiction adventure novel trilogy The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins takes place in a futuristic place called Panem (which consists of the wealthy Capitol and the poorer districts). Panis is Latin for bread and panem is the accusative. Bread and food plays a significant role in this novels as the poor districts suffer from poverty. The heroine lives in the poorest district and has to prevent her family from starving. On the day of the 'reaping' her sister is selected as a tribute for the Hunger Games where basically children are fighting in an arena to the death. But the heroine volunteers instead of her sister in order to save her sister's life. The male tribute from this district is a baker's son. The reward for winning the Hunger Games is lifelong food and supplies.
In Lewis Carroll's The Walrus and the Carpenter (which is one of my favourite poems) it says...
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
Here you can read the whole poem, it is great!!!
Bread and Disney
In Alice in Wonderland the bread-and-butterflies fly passed Alice and turn into a loaf of bread. During the song All in the Golden Afternoon they kiss the tulips and wake the flowers.
Bread and sandwiches
The Earl of Sandwich did not actually invent the delicious snack we know today because it was nothing special to stuff things between two slices of bread. However, Sandwich made the sandwich popular. The Earl was a terrible gambler and he used to sit on a table gambling for hours, therefore he asked his servants to bring him something to eat. In his time sandwiches were associated with British aristocracy and wealth as well as gambling.
Bread and quotes
"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation if innocence and delight." -M.F.K.Fisher
"Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter."- James A. Garfield
Bread and Charlie McDonnell
And this is my last slice of bread for you for today. It is not one of his best songs but I like the illustrations and the lovely story very much.
