Bread: Agriculture

It is no chance that bread is the staple of Europe, W. Asia, and the Near East. The cereals which grow naturally in these regions include those whose composition—including especially gluten—is such that they can form a cohesive loaf. The best in this respect is wheat and its predecessors emmer, spelt, and einkorn, which contain the most gluten, followed by rye and barley. (Others such as millet and oats, though lacking gluten, can still be pushed together into dense cakes. In contrast, rice, the staple of E. Asia, is unsuited to bread-making.)