Turks are First in Bread Consumption: So Why Is This Not Good?

Even though it comes in different sizes, flavors and shapes, bread is indispensable on our tables. Even “You won’t be full without bread.” The expression is one of the most accepted beliefs among Turks.

What about bread, which accompanies almost every meal with its tens of thousands of years of history? Why do we love it so much?

The story of bread, an important part of human history, begins thousands of years ago.

People who hunt and gather get their food; They obtained it by hunting, gathering and processing. These processes included collecting wild cereal grains, and people ground these grains into flour and He would make dough by mixing it with water.

The gradual cultivation of grain crops using various agricultural methods allowed people to further develop this business, and bread, As a foodstuff obtained from grain products It has an important place in people’s nutrition.

Bread making first began in Egypt around 8000 BC. Egyptians crushed grains into dough and baked them to make bread. This process takes place over time It was adopted and developed by different cultures and civilizations.

For Turks, bread has become an indispensable food as well as a culture, and they have attributed countless meanings to bread in many areas of their lives.

For example; To protect newborn children from the devil, bread is placed under their pillows, and to protect the new bride from the evil eye, dry bread is sprinkled over her head or Since a bread found on the ground is considered sacred, it is kissed and placed on the forehead.

The importance of bread is also great for children, and children are given various teachings, especially about eating bread. “If you don’t eat bread, you can’t grow.” or “If you don’t finish it, she will cry after you.” The importance of bread is instilled in children through formulaic words such as:

In our society, even bread crumbs are very important and valuable.

It is believed that having bread crumbs on the sleeping place will cause the person sleeping there to have bad dreams and Do not step on fallen crumbsare just a few examples that show the respect felt for bread.

Moreover, such beliefs also prove that bread has a religious dimension. For example The only food that is sworn on is bread. “Let the bread hit.” or “I swear on the bread.” There are many types of oaths that start with:

Although bread is culturally valuable and an indispensable part of the table, it is possible to say that this food is not very useful.

White bread, in particular, has much lower nutritional value than other whole wheat or bran breads and excessive consumption is not recommended. White bread is a refined grain product and therefore It is a food poor in fiber, minerals and vitamins.

It contains simple carbohydrates that raise blood sugar quickly, and since it contains a very small amount of protein, It does not create a feeling of fullness in the body for a long time. In fact, “You won’t be full without bread.” The statement is just an urban legend.

White bread also increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes It is a bensin with a high glycemic index. It can cause various health problems for people with gluten intolerance.

What if we said that we are by far the world’s first in bread consumption in the last 65 years?

Considering that we are the first in Europe in terms of obesity, as well as cultural and economic factors, it is not surprising that Turkey is at the top of the list in terms of bread consumption. A Turk, on average, per year Between 170 and 190 kg consumes bread.

According to the list, Serbia ranks second with 135 kg per capita consumption per year, and Bulgaria ranks third with 131.1 kg per capita consumption. Ukraine, Cyprus, Argentina and Portugal also follows this list.

In a country where bread is so valuable, its price is undoubtedly also very important.

It is generally impossible to imagine a table without bread, and the price hikes in bread outweigh almost all other foods. It makes more noise and is talked about It is possible. In addition, bread waste is also an issue that needs attention.

Bread produced in Turkey On average, 5% is wasted. Wasting a food that is indispensable for us and has become a culture is undesirable. At this point, it is of great importance to avoid waste and buy as much as we need.

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