page_title: Bread in culture
section_title: North Africa and Horn of Africa
hierarchical_section_title: Bread in culture / Across the world / North Africa and Horn of Africa
caption_attribution_description: English: Alicha Begie and chicken, typical cusine from Eritrea
context_page_description: Bread has a significance beyond mere nutrition in many cultures in the Western world and Greater Middle East because of its history and contemporary importance. Bread is also significant in Christianity as one of the elements of the Eucharist; see sacramental bread. The word companion comes from Latin com- "with" + panis "bread".
  The political significance of bread is considerable. In 19th century Britain, the inflated price of bread due to the Corn Laws caused major political and social divisions, and was central to debates over free trade versus protectionism. The Assize of Bread and Ale in the 13th century demonstrated the importance of bread in medieval times by setting heavy punishments for short-changing bakers, and bread appeared in Magna Carta a half-century earlier.
  Like other foods, choosing the "right" kind of bread is used as a social signal, to let others know, for example, that the person buying expensive bread is financially secure, or the person buying whatever type of bread that the current fashions deem most healthful is a health-conscious consumer.
context_section_description: In the Horn of Africa, notably Ethiopia and Eritrea, a bread called injera is made from a grain called teff. This is a wide, flat, circular bread that is in a similar shape of a tortilla and is also used as a utensil to pick up food.
  Also consumed is a thick and chewy fried bread that is smothered in oil beforehand. The rghifa bread is a staple in the food of Morocco and consists of several layers of lightly cooked bread.
  In Egypt, bread is called aysh (aish merahrah or aish baladi) and the ancient proverb has it that "life without aysh is not life". The typical Egyptian bread is circular, about 6 inches across, often baked in small neighbourhood bakeries and bought still warm.
caption: Meal consisting of injera and several kinds of wat or tsebhi (stew) or (maraq), typical of Ethiopian cuisine, Eritrean cuisine and Somali cuisine.
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