related to me by a drunk baker some evening many moons ago -
'sliced bread has more surface area, so goes stale faster; companies loved it because their bean counters found out that people ended up buying more bread for the perceived convenience. By the time they started crazy additives for longer life, people were convinced that sliced bread is better. Throughout, people were eating less and less bread ... as a slice with your meal so its usage has changed quite a bit as well.' As the evening wore on, he probably had a point, but I missed it.
Now I do not know the veracity of the above ... what is clear to me is that (like many things in the western world) bread is no longer bread (that strange sliced white loaf is probably full of sugar, etc) ... having lived in countries for 20 years where I slice my bread I've not noticed the incredibly time consuming act of slicing bread.
'sliced bread has more surface area, so goes stale faster; companies loved it because their bean counters found out that people ended up buying more bread for the perceived convenience. By the time they started crazy additives for longer life, people were convinced that sliced bread is better. Throughout, people were eating less and less bread ... as a slice with your meal so its usage has changed quite a bit as well.' As the evening wore on, he probably had a point, but I missed it.
Now I do not know the veracity of the above ... what is clear to me is that (like many things in the western world) bread is no longer bread (that strange sliced white loaf is probably full of sugar, etc) ... having lived in countries for 20 years where I slice my bread I've not noticed the incredibly time consuming act of slicing bread.