The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-09-09
BREAD

The following IS a part OF an essay
written by little Miss Katherine Reid
Hall. Of this city, which won one Of
the prizes offered BY a Memphis
bakery in contest which they recent
/ ly conducted:
Bread is the staff of life. 1t fills
every need Of the human system. 1t
is the primary food and we must have
it. Our natural craving must be sat
isfied with natures own food-bread.
1t is an essential to the body. for it is
food for brain, food for muscle. food
for bone-all are contained in proper
proportions in bread. When properly
made it contains more nearly than
any other prepared food all of the
elements necessary to sustain human
life. 1t is the most nutritious of all
foods and is food and tonic in one.
Not only is it supreme in nutrition
and contains all the essential food
elements. but it is the most ecepomi-
cal of foods.
Since bread constitutes a large part
of every meal, it should be the med
ium for supplying to every part of
the human body the food elements
that are required to replenish the
waste tissue and sustain and build up
every part Of the human organism.
There are six essential food ele-
ments which the body requires for
proper development and these. so
necessary for human sustenance, are
conveyed to us through the ingredi-
ents of well-made loaf of bread.
These are:
l. Proteins. for tissue building.
2. Carbohydrates. for energy pro-
duction,
g. Fat. for health.
A. Minerals, for building bones and
regulating functions.
5. Vitamines, for producing growth
6. Water.
Though the manufacture Of fer
mented or leayened bread is of very
great antiquity, it is still by the fer
mentation process that bread is chief
ly made. The art of baking,as of most
arts of primary importance. precedes
the period of history and is involved
in the obscurity of the early ages Of
the human race.
Bread is first mentioned in Genesis
1876, when Abraham, wishing to enter
tain the three angels on the plains of
Mamre, offered to fetch morsel Of
bread" and baking is first alluded to
in the instructions to Sarah to"make
ready quickly three measures of fine
meal, knead it and make cakes upon
the hearth" At the same time Lot
entertained two angels, made them
feast. baked unleavened bread and
they did eat.
AT a later period the art Of baking
was carried to high perfection in
Egypt, which then took the lead in
civilized life. The chief baker of
Pharaoh, who was in prison along with
Joseph. no doubt pursued his craft
IN its essential features in the same
day as bakers do at present. From
ancient Egypt excellence in the art
of baking passed with the march Of
civilization into Greece, and the al
lusions to bread in the works Of
classic authors are very numerous.
Greece had no less than 62 varieties.
Professional bakers were first in
PRODUCED into Rome at the close of the
war with Perseus. king of Macedon.
The calling Of the baker in the Mid
die Ages was considered to be one so
closely affecting the interests of the
people that it was put under strict
regulation. In England an act of
Parliament was passed for regulat-
ing the price Of bread. Thus gradu-
ally the making of bread has ex-
tended over all parts of the earth.
In our own country it is a business
of wonderful magnitude. A very
noted physician says that one pound
of the crumb Of bread, if digested in
the body, will produce the amount OF
force equal to 1888 tons raised one
foot high.
Since bread is an outstanding food
of high nutritive value and low COM
parative cost, it should be our chief |
desire to buy the best bread possible. |
AS the greatest of all foods is bread |
and as the world is looking to the
United States to supply bread for
countries that formerly had plenty of
wheat are TODAY knocking atour door
for Gus. it behooves us to do our part |
in the great drama of life and send |
out to the starving world Bread! |
Bread! Bread!!l-the one altogether
satisfying response to the appetites Of
the race Of mankind, for in every
home of hunger, indoors and outdoors
in every stage of life, bread fills
every need Of the human system.