On The Write Path

Bread of Life (The Gluten Lie) [JI#2]

For: "Journalistic Intentions" 

The Gluten Lie

BREAD OF LIFE

So short the night!
The last vendor still cries out
at dawn

[sashimi 260]

Humans are fruit and grain eaters according to our teeth and we can eat them without fire. Of course, we can also eat worms and insects and fish without fire or fancy traps. But hunting weapons helped us kill birds and mammals. More protein! And fire made them easier to eat and digest.

Ape-like
omnivores — voracious
bears with less hair.

In the Far East bread is bao or pao. The Portuguese, those sailing later-day Phoenicians, brought the concept and the word. People there eat rice, also a grain, and rice cakes, but bread and many pastries are made with flour. Mind you, the best pastel de nata may be found in Lisboa, but you can get one in Tainan or Chiayi as well.

Phoenician
bread of life — spread
with local jam

The Germans and Swedes take pride in making hearty breads using rye and oats as well as wheat. Germans favor sour, the Swedes sweet. The Norwegians? Anything to put cloud berries or gjetost on. Flat rye breads and potato lefse work just as well. They harvest fish and berries, too cold to sow wheat.

Sweet or sour
fluffy or hard — bread fills
empty tummies

France ... land of great baguettes, best fresh, but they can be used like a wooden shoe after a day or two to beat those who don't behave about the head. The breads and pastries in Paris, other than tourist shops, are always good. One can't fool a Parisien twice. Bad food does not sell.

Bad food sells
but once — a baker
sifts his flour

Here in Missoula I eat cheap white bread with anything that can't run away quick enough. Bologna and peanut butter are known to be slow. I save my pennies to eat bread from around the world. Today, there's a rosemary focaccia with my name on it at Le Petit Outre, the corner bakery.

rosemary
focaccia — a full loaf
reduced to crumbs

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [177.362] (14.mars.2021)