Bread and more than 14,000 years of history

In the Neolithic period, by grasping the fermentation technique, considered one of the cultural wonders of mankind, the Egyptians living on the banks of the Nile invented the bread , the origin of the dish. basic.

Discovered by the French historian Adrien Berthelot, the guide in the ancient area in the Louvre, explained to the Catholic daily La Croix (July 25, 2016). He said: "The Egyptians recorded all on papyrus and carved on stone the important moments of everyday life. Actions are said to be long and repetitive even across the world." .

And ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs show that bread occupies an important place in everyday life. According to the historian: "The transformation of bread into bread occurred during the period of global warming. The process of settling and growing crops was found at many locations throughout the planet and took place in the same Water is an essential element of the production cycle, and the Nile River, with its fertile floods and marshes, opens this path for the Egyptians, Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia). Herodote once said that Egypt was a gift of the Nile, an oasis stretching up to 2,000 km, becoming an important grain growing area and the starting point of the wheat cultivar of people. Roman".

Ancient Egyptians invented bread.

The Egyptians believed in having this grain thanks to Osiris, the ruler of the dead's soul. Osiris is the one who judges those who deserve to live eternally or be filled into the dark hell. In order to keep up the promise of grace, the deceased can be allowed to become a funeral servant with the task of ringing and harvesting to ensure the bread of God Osiris.

At the Louvre, many small statues of heavy wheat bags are seen on their backs. On the altar of worship, people see large cakes carved in stone. Those are the breads that the prayers of the living turn them into real cakes for the dead. And on the funeral structures, like pyramids or tombs, people in the other world can still find many different recipes.

According to the Egyptian hieroglyphic records, there are 19 types of bread with different ways and times of ripening: such as casting or baking directly on the stone . The historian Alexandre Burtard said: "Methods of preservation Especially the archaeological heritage in the Egyptian desert has allowed the discovery of breads from many millennia, many of which are preserved at the Louvre ".

Jean-Philippe de Tonnac, co-curator of the Dictionary of the Bread of Bread (Dictionnaire universel du pain) commented: "People killed an animal, people ate it, then nothing left. On the contrary, after In the harvest, people can have food for a year, moreover, it is possible to preserve the harvested rice for transplanting next year. agricultural industry Xu-me literature (southern Mesopotamia) bears the imprint of the first bakery products ".

Enamel bread, magic chemistry invention

Just four basic ingredients can be made bread: flour, water, salt and glaze famous . It is a powder that fermentation, although scientifically analyzed, is still something that attracts people who knead the dough and see the cake blooming before the fire solidifies it.

One of the questions of archaeologists and historians is how the Egyptians could control the process of making bread that needed precision and dexterity. And are they the inventors of bread yeast ?

The famous food historian, Steven Kaplan, said: "It seems they happened to find this method. It is a powder that can consist of barley and water, then be brewed, then fermented, eventually The result is a strange shape, but not to throw that "rotten" away like a bad omen, this is just the beginning of the fermentation stage, the mysterious thing that is proven. Intelligent science and still miraculous ".

And historian Alexandre Burtard is more inclined to understanding and mastering the technique: "Often bread comes from cereal porridge. The cooking process helps it to be preserved without becoming too stale. Later, thanks to mastering The baking process is so a new profession appears: the bread making profession ".

Homer used to judge civilians differently from wild people because of the "bread-eating" trait. In the History of Bread from 6,000 years, Heinrich Eduard writes: "Bread dominates the spirit and material of the ancient world, from the Egyptians invented and turned bread into the foundation of the Buddhist life. their sacrifices, until the Jews turned bread into a starting point for religious and social legislation, and then the Greeks knew how to create the most profound and solemn myths about mysteries. Finally, the Romans turned bread into a political matter, and until the day Jesus said, "Eat it!" I am a living bread! ""

Long bread (baguette), a French characteristic.(Flickr / Yukiko Matsuoka).

Journey to the West by bread

Derived from Egypt, bread to Greece, Rome and the West to become a basic food, a reference component and social conditioning.

Among the spoils from the main schools of Alexandre the Great (356-323 BC), the Greeks captured the Egyptian invention: it was bread. By improving it and adding flavors like honey or honey, they brought bread into the era of cuisine with 72 different types.

Later, Greek slaves who served the Romans taught them this art of baking. The first bread makers are called "depistores" (those who use pestles to pound flour). This is the hereditary work that the son cannot refuse, otherwise he will be severely punished. Gradually, they took on a "common mission" and were classified as civil servants.

Customers can buy a variety of breads, including special bread served with seafood. The Roman Empire ensured social stability by distributing "bread and entertainment".

One hundred years BC, the Romans installed a mill with water to operate the chopping boards. And it wasn't until more than four centuries later that the Gaulois (France) learned of this invention.

In France, the first regulation of bread appeared in 630, under King Dagobert: The bakeries must be located near the royal family, strongholds and monasteries. People who make bread are called "talemelier". This word comes from "tamis" (sieve) used to sieve flour.

Different types of bread.

In the 11th century, bread was one of the main foods. Encouraged by Christian production and distribution, it became the church's main source of income. Most farmers make their own bread and pay only a fee to grind the grain and another to get access to the common oven, from which there is a kind of black bread.

The word "boulanger" comes from the Picardie region, originating from "boulenc" (people who make bagels). This word became popular in everyday language around the middle of the thirteenth century. In the middle latin language, "boulengarius" turns into "bolengier" in French before being fixed to " boulanger" today.

Only on January 19, 1,322 allowed bread makers to work at night."White bread" is added with foam beer to make baking powder (the way inherited from the Gaulois) is reserved for aristocrats and bourgeois. In rural areas, farmers make " black bread" from the cereals they have in their hands, which should have a rougher shape.

Today, bread used as a symbol of the symbol indicates the first signs of starvation or price hikes. As Lionel Poilâne once wrote: " Talking about the history of bread, is a little telling about the history of mankind."