Roti Origin: Bread is one of the oldest foods of humanity. It is deeply linked to the rise of civilization. Although roti is considered a staple of Indian cuisine today, the story of flat bread begins long before India’s recorded history. Archaeological discoveries reveal that the world’s oldest bread was made thousands of years before farming began. So where was the first bread made? Let us know.

world’s oldest bread

According to archaeologists, the remains of the world’s oldest bread have been found in the north-eastern desert of Jordan. These remaining parts are approximately 14400 years old. That means about 4000 years before organized farming started. This roti was a kind of flat bread made by grinding wild grains like barley, oats and tubers. Perhaps it was cooked on hot stones or in old stoves. This discovery shows that early humans were experimenting with cereal foods long before systematic farming began.

Indus Valley and early Indian bread traditions

The story of roti in the Indian subcontinent is linked to the thousands of years old Indus Valley Civilization. It is from around 3000 BCE. Excavations in Harappa and Mohenjodaro have yielded grains of wheat and barley which are still grown in India. This evidence shows that the early people of this area grew grains and made some kind of flat bread.

Mention in old books

Mention of roti and chapati is also found in old Indian literature. Words like chapati are found in Sanskrit books and epics like Mahabharata. It is believed that the word chapati comes from the Sanskrit word Karpati. It means a thin cake. The word roti itself comes from Sanskrit rotika.

Mughal period and identity of cooking

Roti gained more recognition during the Mughal period. It is specifically mentioned in the 16th century historical document Ain-e-Akbari. In this, court customs and food have been explained in detail. Mughal emperor Akbar liked different types of bread.

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