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The long-held belief that Egyptians were the inventors of bread, credited with this culinary innovation around 8000 BC, has been challenged by evidence suggesting that Australian Aboriginals were baking bread tens of thousands of years earlier. Remarkably, ancient grindstones discovered in New South Wales point to a practice of breadmaking dating back at least 34,000 years, surpassing Egyptian baking by a significant margin.
Advanced Culinary Skills and Agriculture
Contrary to the stereotype of Aboriginals as solely hunter-gatherers, early white settlers noted fields cultivated for crops such as the ‘murrnong’ yam, indicating a sophisticated approach to agriculture among Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal women played a primary role in this early form of baking, collecting various seeds depending on the season and region. These included native millet, spinifex, and even seeds collected from harvester ants’ nests, where the ants had effectively husked the seed for them.
Labor-Intensive Breadmaking Process
The process of making flour was labor-intensive, involving winnowing with tools like the coolamon and grinding with millstones, some of which are as old as 50,000 years. This flour was then mixed with water to create dough, which was baked into nutritious bread high in protein and carbohydrates, forming an essential part of the traditional Aboriginal diet.
Diverse Bread Ingredients
The Aboriginal method of breadmaking also incorporated seeds from a range of plants, like pigwig and prickly wattle, showcasing their extensive knowledge of local flora.
Cultural Heritage and Modern Resurgence
Breadmaking was a cornerstone of Aboriginal cuisine and remains an integral part of their cultural heritage. However, with the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of white flour, these traditional bread-making practices began to fade, although they were still practiced in some areas into the 1970s. Today, there’s a resurgence in interest in these ancient techniques, with a focus on reviving and celebrating the rich culinary history of Aboriginal Australians.
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