What is the greatest invention? Many think of the printing press, the wheel, or the telegraph, but most do not immediately consider sliced bread; yet, it is the invention to which all others are compared. Without it, the phrase “the best thing since sliced bread” would not exist. Sliced bread had a greater effect on the world than most realize. For example, the toaster was invented two years before sliced bread, but after the invention, the sales of the toaster soared (“Fascinating Facts”). Sliced bread shaped our perspective of food and convenience in America. Additionally, the way in which bread was sliced differentiated individuals: thinner for women and children and thicker for workers and men. The bread slicer contributed to the American desire for accessible food that continues to this day. Sliced bread was more than simply an invention to relieve housewives; it revolutionized the American way.
Bread was one of the first foods that was made instead of grown or hunted. Bread dates all the way back to the Neolithic era. By the twentieth century, Americans consumed bread in greater quantities than any other food. Bread has constantly evolved since the Neolithic age, but the manner in which it was served did not change drastically until 1928. Even before the bread-slicing machine, sliced bread was controversial. The act of slicing bread before it was necessary was banned during World War One (Bobrow-Strain). Thus, housewives were forced to cut bread at the table as needed so it would not go stale and be wasted. This prevented the bread from having to be thrown out unnecessarily and new bread, which could have gone to the soldiers, to be bought for the family (“Fascinating Facts”).
Now he is known as “The Father of Sliced Bread...
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... of the Bread Slicer by Otto Rohwedder in 1928." The Great Idea Finder. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2005. .
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Peppers, Margot. "The Greatest Thing Since...A Look at the History of Sliced Bread and its Jeweler Inventor as it Celebrates 85th Anniversary." MailOnline. Associated Newspapers Ltd., 8 July 2013. Web. . .
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The author is showing how the bakers dealt with this opposition. The reading showed the importance of bread in that area, as well; showing just how important it was. To show how high in demand bread was, the author writes, “The average Amsterdammer obtained an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 calories a day” (7). The author writes about how the bakers had a sense of unity when confronted by the burgomasters and were thus able to disagree with the policies in a civilized and cohesive way. Because they felt that their rights were being infringed, some of the bakers compared their plight to that of slavery. Although they were being controlled by other people, the bakers still had freedom and liberty (unlike slaves) as they were citizens of the country. There was a man named Peter Stuyvesant who was sent to New Amsterdam to help resolve these issues. While he set some rules and regulations for the bakers to follow, he was not viewed very favorably by them. He did not consider inflation a factor in his decision making, which was a big mistake. The bakers simply chose not to bake after learning about this, which led to bread shortages. Stuyvesant threatened the bakers that he would close
Bread in the novel Night by Elie Wiesel is sometimes a symbol for relief. A symbol for a time where Elie, his father, and other prisoners had a time of rest in the harsh conditions. On page 73 Elie and his father have a huge sense of relief it says “So? Did you pass? Yes, And you? Also.” “We were able to breathe again. My father had a present for me: A half ration of bread.” Elie and his father passed the selection meaning that they still have a chance to live and survive. Before they saw each other after the selection they had no idea if they would ever see each other ever again, but when they found out that they both made it all that worry and stress went
Olver, Lynne. "TheFood Timeline History Notes--state Foods." TheFood Timeline History Notes--state Foods. Ed. The FoodTimeline. N.p., 2000. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. .
Keller, Alex. "Review: The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth Century Miller." Technology and Culture 23.4 (1982): 650-51. JSTOR. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .
David C. Snyder Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1986), pp. 197-213
As more and more time passed, the lives of Europe's people were not getting any better. Most of the population were peasants and their normal diet consisted of small amounts of porridge, whole-grain stew, unleavened bread, and maybe
Seabrook, John. "Annals of Invention The Flash of Genius." The New Yorker 11 January 1993. web.
Bobrow-Strain, Aaron. White Bread: A Social History of the Store-bought Loaf. Boston: Beacon, 2012. Print.
Mintz, Steven. "Food in America." Digital History. History Online, 2007. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. .
inches). After the initial bread information is gathered, one may commence cutting. Simply slice the entire length of the bread, but do not cut all the way through, to create a hinge effect. The entrée is then ready to be dressed.
After I completed my procurement of that dashing blue fishing pole, I stopped at the Deli to pick up a hero sandwich in honor of a comrade in arms. As I ordered that big boy, I slipped the owner a ten-spot and asked if he could make this one special for someone deserving. He smiled and went to the oven to get a hot fresh loaf of bread. You could see the hot vapor rising, as he sliced though the crispy crust. He panned though the assortment of exotic mustards and picked out his all time favorites, spreading it across the aromatic loaf. He went straight for the refrigerator where he pulled fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and the large chunks of deli meats that were freshly sliced for the occasion. He added a few extra slices just to be sure the sandwich looked as good as its name.
Food advertisements, supermarket displays, and restaurant menus increasingly highlight foods, particularly bread, as being gluten-free. Gluten consists of two proteins, gliadin and glutamine, which combine and help produce light and fluffy bread (Lord, 2012). Wheat is bred for its high gluten content which serves efficiently well for all bakers and chefs. Today, gluten is becoming a problem in society since allergic reactions to the protein have increased. Bread is a worldwide staple food and gluten is a predominant aspect within the dough mixture. Gluten free bread is basically fixed as it was thousands of years ago without the fermentation of yeast and the mixture of sourdough.