Bread, the World's Favourite Food
Voice 1
Hello, I'm Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I'm Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
pain ... brot ... chapati ... nan ...
Voice 1
What are these people talking about? Well, it is one of the world's most popular foods:
ekmek ... pao ... mkateh ... BREAD!
Voice 2
Bread is one of the world's oldest foods. Its history starts thousands of years ago - a long time before people started to record historical facts. A number of scientists studied the customs of ancient cultures. They discovered that two particular people groups planted and used wheat. Wheat is the main ingredient in most bread. These groups lived in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (part of modern Iraq). At first they ate the wheat just as it was. But over time, they found other ways to use it. They crushed the wheat and added water. This made a thick soft ‘dough'. People held this soft, smooth mix over an open fire. It then turned into a hard, flat bread.
Voice 1
These ancient people groups made another discovery. But this time, it was by accident! People found that if they left the uncooked dough for a time, something strange happened. When they cooked it, the bread was sometimes softer and lighter. Later, they discovered this was caused by yeast. Yeast is a very small organism, small enough to float on air. The yeast in the air reacted with something in the dough. It created gas. This gas made the dough rise. So when they cooked it, it tasted good! Later, people learned to add yeast to control the taste of their bread.
Voice 2
This new food, bread, had a particular influence on the behaviour of these ancient ethnic groups. They discovered that they could store wheat. And they found that uncooked bread dough kept fresh for some time. This meant that people did not have to go and search for food every single day. And so it left time for them to learn other skills that would help develop their society.
Voice 1
Bread soon began to take an important place in people's lives. From the most unimportant person to the highest official in the land - everyone liked to eat bread.
Voice 2
Today, thousands of years later, many people visit the Egyptian part of the British Museum in London. In the Egyptian part of the museum, visitors can see bread that is five thousand [5,000] years old!. Archaeologists found it in an Egyptian king's funeral building. The king wanted to have bread to eat in the next life. So he ordered that people bury some bread with him when he died. It would taste terrible now!
Voice 1
In the ancient Roman empire, bread-making had became a real skill. Not just anyone could do it. The government formed a bread-makers' organization. A member of this organization was called a ‘pistor' in the Latin language. In English, it means ‘baker'. The bakers cooked, or baked, the bread. And they enjoyed special treatment. Firstly, they were free men - they were not slaves. Secondly, they could not mix with theatre people - actors and fighters. The government thought that the behaviour of such people could have a bad influence on bakers. Bakers had to be pure in their behaviour. And thirdly, being a baker was a job for life. A baker could not change to another job, even if he wanted to. His children had to become bakers also. The art of making bread was to stay in the family forever. Being a baker in Rome was a big responsibility!
Voice 2
Over the years, the main ingredients of bread - wheat, water, yeast and salt - have not changed much. However, different cultures have created their own versions. And some of these are:
Voice 3
Pitta - a small round flat bread eaten in Middle Eastern countries. People cut it open and fill it with meat or vegetables.
Voice 4
Baguette - a long thin stick of white bread. Baguettes are very popular with French people. They eat them at almost every meal!
Voice 3
Roggenbrot - a popular bread in Germany. Bakers use dark rye grain instead of the usual wheat. This gives roggenbrot its special black colour.
Voice 4
Injera - a bread made from a kind of wheat called teff. Teff is the most common wheat in Ethiopia. People here mix the teff with water. Some time later they take the teff and water mixture and cook it in oil. The result is flat and thick. People eat it with meat and vegetables.
Voice 1
It is true that bread has been a popular food around the world for a long time. It is easy to produce and is full of goodness. But years ago, bread was also a sign of someone's wealth. The whiter the bread, the richer the person. Why? Well, the natural colour of crushed wheat is not white. It takes a number of processes to make the wheat is as white as possible. These processes involve removing every small unwanted particle and crushing the wheat even more. All this takes time. So, in the past, white bread was more costly - because it took longer to make. If someone bought white bread, they usually had plenty of money. The poor people were left with darker bread. This was made from wheat that still contained impure particles.
Voice 2
However, it seems that the poor people may have had the better result after all. Scientists later discovered that bread made with whole grain wheat was more healthy. So darker bread made with 'impure' wheat was better for people's diets. Today, eating white bread is less popular in many countries! People know that whole wheat bread is better for their health.
Voice 1
Bread is an important food. So in language, people often use the word ‘bread' to mean any important and simple needs for life. Every week in church many Christians repeat the prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread”. They are asking God to provide all that they need for life - not just food to eat.
Voice 2
People talk about ‘bread and butter' work. These are the important things that we need to do as part of our job. And they often use the word ‘bread' to mean money. A ‘bread-winner' is the person in a family who earns the money. The word, 'bread' has become part of culture in so many ways. Voice 1
All this talking about food has made me feel hungry. I am going to find something to eat now. What do you think I am going to have?
Voice 2
Bread?
Voice 1
That's right! Now, what kind should I eat? Voice 2
The writer and producer of today's programme is Ruby Jones. The voices you heard today were from the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa. Computer users can hear our programmes, read our scripts and see our word list on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called, ‘Bread, The World's Favourite Food.' If you have comments or questions about our Spotlight programmes you can reach us by email. Our address is radio @ English . net. Thank you for joining us today, goodbye.
