The first man-made food
It is the oldest of all foods made by man. It comes in all shapes and
sizes. It is called “the staff of life.” More people eat it than any
other kind of food. In the United States, its name is a slang term for
money. What is it?
If you haven’t guessed, it’s—bread!
The early breads were hard and flat. They were made by mixing ground
grain and water. The Egyptians were the first to make bread that is soft
and light and filled with air. They also made the first ovens, because
they needed a different way to bake the larger mass of dough used for
this new kind of bread.
People use different grains to make bread. Each grain gives it a
different color and taste. And, of course, people have different names
for bread.
In the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South
America, you can enjoy flat corn-meal cakes called tortillas. In the
Middle East, try Arab pita, which is made from wheat. In India, you
can have flat wheat cakes called chapatties. And, if you are in
France, buy a long loaf of pain, which is French for bread.
Colombia
A young girl in Colombia prepares a thin, corn-meal pancake called an
arepa, which people in her country use like bread.
