The method of harvesting crops and preparing them for eating, has always intrigued me. Who first thought of the amazing dishes that we enjoy, whoever thought of gathering those lentils, the beans, greens and bounty of veggies to cook and enjoy together?
Today as my husband and I become more and more interested in the making of sourdough bread, I’m fascinated by this basic food and its origins. Rightly did someone coin the phrase ‘the bread of life’. Most people can relate to this.
What a truly marvellous, staple food this is – enjoyed by cultures all over the world in various methods and styles of cooking!
Who was that first person to look at kernels of wheat growing in fields, think of collecting them and figure out what could be done to consume them, in daily life? I would love to meet him or her somehow and thank them profusely for that which has been enjoyed in centuries past and present.
The internet, of course, gives me a few known theories. Apparently, the 1Natufian hunter-gatherers in Jordan were the first to bake flatbread from foraged wild grains and plant roots, which, down the ages, led to the domestication of these crops.
We are spoilt for choice in the fascinating array of breads that surround us, thanks to our current, multicultural lives present in almost every capital city.
What bread are you drawn to? Different ones for different occasions, right? As for me, I’ve never been able to get past a good Focaccia bread – a winner every time.
Here’s to the bread that you will enjoy today – with a glass of wine or a nice, hot cup of tea – cheers!!
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