Latest news with #localbakery

News.com.au
28-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Ancient bread rises again as Turkey recreates 5,000-year-old loaf
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimetres (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. "This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape," said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation. "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he told AFP. "But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried," he said. The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300 BC. A piece had been torn off, before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built. "It makes us think of a ritual of abundance," Turkteki said. - 'Moved by this discovery' - Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread has been on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum since Wednesday. "We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread," said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce. Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast. Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Turkey. To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analysing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur and lentils. At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning "People's Bread" in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day. "The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread," said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager. The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300-gramme (11-ounce) cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (around $1.28), sold out within hours. "I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread," said customer Suzan Kuru. - Drought resistant - In the absence of written traces, the civilisation of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious. In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region. "Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order," said archaeologist Deniz Sari. The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought. Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought. "We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water," said Unluce, the local mayor. "Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops," she added. The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease. "We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction," she said. "These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on."


Khaleej Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Ancient bread rises again as Turkey recreates 5,000-year-old loaf
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe — with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimetres (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. "This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape," said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation. "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he told AFP. "But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried," he said. The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300 BC. A piece had been torn off, before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built. "It makes us think of a ritual of abundance," Turkteki said. 'Moved by this discovery' Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread has been on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum since Wednesday. "We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread," said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce. Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast. Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Turkey. To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analysing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur and lentils. At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning "People's Bread" in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day. "The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread," said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager. The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300-gramme (11-ounce) cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (around $1.28), sold out within hours. "I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread," said customer Suzan Kuru. Drought resistant In the absence of written traces, the civilisation of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious. In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region. "Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order," said archaeologist Deniz Sari. The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought. Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought. "We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water," said Unluce, the local mayor. "Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops," she added. The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease. "We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction," she said. "These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on."


Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ancient Bread Rises Again as Türkiye Recreates 5,000-year-old Loaf
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Türkiye. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimeters (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. "This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape," said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation. "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he told AFP. "But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried," he said. The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300 BC. A piece had been torn off before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built. "It makes us think of a ritual of abundance," Turkteki said. Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread has been on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum since Wednesday. "We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread," said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce. Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast. Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Türkiye. To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analyzing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur and lentils. At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning "People's Bread" in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day. "The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread," said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager. The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300-gram (11-ounce) cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (around $1.28), sold out within hours. "I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread," said customer Suzan Kuru. In the absence of written traces, the civilization of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious. In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region. "Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order," said archaeologist Deniz Sari. The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought. Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought. "We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water," said Unluce, the local mayor. "Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops," she added. The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease. "We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction," she said. "These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on."

Al Arabiya
27-05-2025
- Science
- Al Arabiya
Turkey recreates 5,000-year-old loaf of bread
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimeters (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. 'This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape,' said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation. 'Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs,' he told AFP. 'But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried,' he said. The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300 BC. A piece had been torn off, before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built. 'It makes us think of a ritual of abundance,' Turkteki said. 'Moved by this discovery' Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread has been on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum since Wednesday. 'We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread,' said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce. Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast. Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Turkey. To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analyzing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur and lentils. At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning 'People's Bread' in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day. 'The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread,' said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager. The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300-gramme (11-ounce) cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (around $1.28), sold out within hours. 'I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread,' said customer Suzan Kuru. Drought resistant In the absence of written traces, the civilization of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious. In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region. 'Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order,' said archaeologist Deniz Sari. The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought. Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought. 'We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water,' said Unluce, the local mayor. 'Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops,' she added. The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease. 'We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction,' she said. 'These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on.'


Independent Singapore
07-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Hot dog bun goes up from $1.70 to $2, the seller even asks for the bun's plastic bag back
SINGAPORE: A Facebook user wrote that he was amused when the price of a hot dog bun he bought at a local bakery had gone up from $1.70 to $2. Other commenters, however, wrote that they did not find the price increase quite so funny, with one netizen saying that the most recent 1 per cent in the Goods & Services Tax (GST), which was implemented on Jan 1, 2024, in some cases has meant a 20 per cent increase 'on the streets.' In a May 7 (Wednesday) post on the popular Complaint Singapore page, the post author wrote that he had bought the hotdog bun at a bakery at the Sembawang MRT station, adding that there was a 'sudden steep increase after a small renovation.' He added that the woman who sold the hot dog bun had originally given it to him in a plastic bag but later asked for it back, proclaiming 'a single-item purchase does not warrant a plastic bag anymore.' The incident left him 'feeling amused.' However, some commenters on his post wrote that the increase of over 17 per cent for the hot dog bun was decidedly less pleasant for them. '$2 is too expensive for a hotdog bun,' wrote one, adding, 'Regardless of how much everyone is earning, it's not right to charge more because people are earning more, even though they believe they can.' ' I stopped buying those buns from the bakery,' wrote another. One commented, '1% GST increase became 20% on the streets .' ' So expensive all the items,' another sighed. Some group members, however, recommended other bakeries where bread is still reasonably priced. 'Hougang Central 80+ stores there, all buns at $1 only, freshly made, very nice,' wrote one. Another chimed in with, 'Then you should go to Jurong East Blk 35x, a few shops there are selling $1 bread.' In Singapore, which has built quite a reputation for itself for its delicious and affordable food, high prices for meals or food items cause many to get upset. This has become increasingly common in the past few years, especially with increased inflation rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, global tensions affecting supply chains. Hawkers and other food and beverage establishment owners have also been vocal about their struggles to offer reasonably priced meals in the face of the higher prices of raw materials and labour. /TISG Read also: 'S$12 for 1 piece of asam pedas fish?' — Customer left in a state of disbelief with the 'high price' he was charged for his fish meal order