The History of Bread

Posted by Allyson

Recently, Karen, one of our experienced teamsters and longtime volunteers, shared with me an interview about the history of white bread that she heard on KCRW's podcast Good Food.  It was fascinating to listen and learn about the complex social history of this staple of the American diet - did you know that bread was the most important food in the American diet at the turn of the 20th century?  Coincidentally, much of the history discussed in the podcast centers around the 1920s - the time we interpret here at Wagner Farm.  It you're curious to learn more about the assault on bakeries by food purists in the early 1900s and how it led to the industrialization of one of the last of the important staple foods in the American diet, the use of white bread as a weapon of war during World War II, and the eventual invention of sliced bread in 1928, click on the link above or go to http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/gf/gf120414history_of_ketchup_h.  You can listen to the entire podcast or just click the segment titled "White Bread, Then and Now."  Thanks for sharing, Karen!