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White Bread
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
12 posts | 4 read | 15 to read
What can the history of America's one-hundred-year love-hate relationship with sliced white bread tell us about contemporary efforts to change the way we eat? Fluffy industrial loaves are about as far from slow, local, and organic as you can get, but the story of social reformers, food experts, and diet gurus who believed that getting people to eat certain food could restore the nation's decaying physical, moral, and social fabric will sound very familiar. White Bread teaches us that when Americans debate what one should eat, they are also wrestling with larger questions of race, class, immigration, and gender. As Bobrow-Strain traces the story of bread, from the first factory loaf to the latest gourmet pain au levain, he shows how efforts to champion "good food" reflect dreams of a better society--even as they reinforce stark social hierarchies. In the early twentieth century, the factory-baked loaf heralded a new future, a world away from the hot, dusty, "dirty" bakeries run by immigrants. This bread, the original "superfood," was fortified with vitamins and marketed as patriotic. However, sixties counterculture made white bread an icon of all that was wrong with America. Today, the alternative food movement favors foods deemed ethical and environmentally correct to eat. In a time when open disdain for "unhealthy" eaters and discrimination on the basis of eating habits grow increasingly acceptable, White Bread is a timely and important examination of what we talk about when we talk about food.
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blurb
DebinHawaii
DebinHawaii
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
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#JulyJam

Some red, white & blue-titled books from my stacks for #USIndependenceDay ❤️🤍💙

tagged users iconEggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️🤍💙 2y
Eggs Pretty ❤️🇺🇸💙 2y
45 likes2 comments
review
shanaqui
shanaqui
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
Pickpick

This was fascinating. I'd love details about how some of this relates to the white/brown bread divide in the UK, too, though I recognise some themes.

A bit densely written at times, but worth it.

rubyslippersreads I know it‘s very bad for me, but every once in a while I buy a loaf of white bread. 😏 4y
10 likes1 comment
blurb
shanaqui
shanaqui
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain

This was recommended to me by someone on Pillowfort, and I was sceptical, but it's turning out very interesting. So many politics surrounding white bread in the US. I'd be interested in seeing a similar analysis for the UK, too -- I imagine that there are a lot of the same themes.

10 likes
review
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
Pickpick

Finished last night. Marvelous, in-depth look at the history of America's attitude about bread and how that connects to class, race, gender, immigration, capitalism, activism, and international politics. Unexpectedly awesome. I might have to buy this book for myself. Highly recommend. 🍞✨

33 likes4 stack adds
blurb
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain

Fun fact: synthetically enriched white bread was invented in late 30s/early 40s when the WW2 draft began and the govt realized that the Great Depression made a huge portion of the population malnourished. The govt realized then that white bread, totally devoid of nutrients, was the culprit (only thing ppl could afford in the 30s) and, after failing to get the public to switch to whole wheat bread, was forced to enrich white bread. 🍞⬇️

queerbookreader The public flat-out refused to stop eating white bread, I'm dead serious. It was govt mandated to be in all white bread, not just specialty loaves for the upper class. EVERYONE could afford it. White bread enrichment was only supposed to be temporary to make the malnourished population healthier for the draft, but after the war, it became a nutrition staple, and ppl expected it to stay cheap, so our white bread has been enriched since. 8y
queerbookreader #themoreyouknow #seriousreadingday 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa People are crazy when you really look at things, aren't they? 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage This is not making us healthier. But the history is fascinating - thanks! 8y
24 likes1 stack add4 comments
quote
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
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#womp

22 likes
quote
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain

#womp

quote
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
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This passage reminds me today of some vegetarians/vegans who rally behind animal and environmental rights, but who don't pay any attention to migrant farm workers who are 1) sustaining the veggie lifestyle 2) the equivalent of modern day slaves. It reminds me of vegetarians/vegans who only blame PEOPLE for getting sick off of a non-veggie diet, not the flawed healthcare system and corporations tricking us into buying bad products. #truthtea

ultrabookgeek So much truth I am feeling!! 8y
19 likes1 comment
blurb
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain

Wow people this book is so good, it's full of historical background and sociological arguments founded off of this presented history about attitudes surrounding health, morality, scientific innovation, immigration, gender roles, and race. Who knew you could have discussions like this, all because of bread?? I love it

28 likes1 stack add
blurb
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
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BarbaraTheBibliophage Wow. 😂😂 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I'm going to have to read this one! 8y
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
queerbookreader
queerbookreader
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf | Aaron Bobrow-Strain
post image

You think it's some regular ole history about white, sliced bread, BUT IS ACTUALLY a huge discussion on class and race reflected in America's constantly changing opinions of bread from 1840s onward. I am amazed. Things are about to get very real. 🍞

Riveted_Reader_Melissa That sounds excellent!!! 8y
29 likes6 stack adds1 comment