The Global Language of Bread at Breakfast

Bread (primarily in the form of toast) at breakfast feels as necessary as coffee. Most of the time, we expect it to be there and eat it subconsciously without giving it any further thought. Yet in other cultures, bread plays more specific roles.

Here’s a quick look at bread’s origins and some examples of how bread can be more significant than your humble morning piece of toast.

A Brief History of Bread

Archaeologists in northeast Jordan have found evidence that around 14,000 years ago, the hunter-gatherers of the time crushed barley and einkorn, mixing them with water before cooking. This was the introduction to unleavened flatbread. Fermentation processes were introduced around 4000 BCE, creating what we know as bread today.

By the Middle Ages, bread paired with cheese and meat became a popular breakfast. By the late 1900s, bread—as toast—was a part of everyday breakfast, especially in the West. Mass-produced bread during the 20th century turned it into the breakfast staple we eat almost daily.

While toast with eggs, ham, cheese, and coffee is a typical American breakfast, around the world, bread appears in other forms.

Bread Around the Globe

The concept is the same; a bread derivative is a popular breakfast item. French people eat baguettes and croissants; for Italians, it’s focaccia; Indians choose between naan and roti; Mexicans embrace tortillas; and Ethiopians have their injera.

French Baguettes and Croissants

In France, bread takes two iconic forms. Long, thin style bread was widely eaten in France in the 1800s, but it was with the introduction of the Viennese steam oven in 1830 that the baguette appeared. Today, it has strict baking methods which are protected under the 1993 Bread Decree, and it’s consumed all day, not just for breakfast. The baguette is a symbol of France. An iconic picture of a person leaving a boulangerie with a baguette under their arm immediately conjures up an image of France for anyone looking at the pic.

Although widely connected with France, croissants were invented in Austria and introduced to France in 1830 by Austrian baker August Zang, along with his steam oven. The French then amended the recipe to include layers of butter in a flakier dough. While baguettes with ham and cheese are a breakfast staple, croissants are viewed as a luxury option, most commonly served with jam and paired with coffee.

Indian Roti and Naan

Roti has been a staple across the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. It’s simply bread made from whole wheat flour and cooked on a flat or slightly concave griddle known as a tava. Roti appears at every meal and is mostly accompanied by vegetables and lentils, and with lamb in some areas of India. Accompanied by potato or paneer, you’ll find this available for breakfast in many homes. This bread symbolizes warmth, nourishment, and community.

Another Indian bread is the naan. It’s cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor, it’s enriched with yogurt or milk, and has a soft, pillowy texture. Naan appears most often at special meals on festive occasions and symbolizes luxury, hospitality, and refinement in Indian culinary traditions.

Italian Focaccia

Focaccia is an ancient bread from the Etruscans of North Central Italy, and is traced back to before both the Greek and Roman empires. Panis Focacius, “hearth bread,” refers to the traditional baking methods, in the hearth’s ashes. The original flatbread recipe was simply flour, water, olive oil, and salt. Centuries later, yeast was added to make it lighter, airier, and less dense. Focaccia, like the French baguette, is eaten throughout the day. For breakfast, it’s seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, and salt and served with a cappuccino. Culturally, baking focaccia is treated as an Italian tradition; it’s a communal activity, and each region adds its own flavors and toppings.

Mexican Tortillas

Mexican tortillas are believed to have been invented by the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations at least 3,000 years ago. They are primarily made of ground maize (corn) and through a process called nixtamalization, which enhances its nutritional content. Tortillas are the basis of many Mexican foods, such as soft tacos and burritos. They eliminate the need for utensils because they serve as an edible food container. Breakfast burritos are a popular menu item in many California restaurants and drive-ins. But for the people of Mexico, corn tortillas are symbolic of their identity, resilience, and unity.

Ethiopian Injera

For 3,000 years, people from the Ethiopian highlands have been eating a sour fermented flatbread made primarily from teff flour called injera. As Ethiopians eat with their hands, injera serves two purposes: it provides much-needed nutrition and acts as a bowl for holding homemade stews. Injera is present at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Culturally, injera serves as an essential symbol of Ethiopian culture and togetherness.

Sourcing Bread Over the Ages

Bread’s role hasn’t only been cultural but also practical. Rumor has it that Napoleon Bonaparte ordered thin bread rolls that could fit in the hand to be provided to his army so they could eat quickly without even needing to put down their weapons. Nowadays, many bread-based foods are designed to be eaten with one hand.

There’s something indulgent about queuing at a bakery and smelling that fresh-baked bread aroma— nothing comes close to that. Real estate agents have been known to spray that scent around the kitchen of an open home to tantalize the senses of prospective buyers. Today, most of us are too busy to stand in a queue early in the morning to buy our bread. Thankfully, these days, getting your hands on your favorite bread derivative is straightforward; you no longer even need to leave your house.

Delivery apps have made food sourcing a piece of cake (bread?). Many bakeries partner with these apps to ensure their products get to as many homes as possible. Place your order before you jump in the shower, and when you’re done, simply answer the door. Getting bread delivered for breakfast is as convenient today as checking movie times, making a lunchtime reservation, or shopping around on Casinos.com for online casinos that accept Revolut.

Tomorrow, when you’re slathering your toast with butter, spend a moment thinking about other bread for breakfast options and what they mean to the people who are eating them.