THE HISTORY OF FLATBREAD

The earliest evidence of people using fire to cook food is from the Neanderthal/Homo Sapiens intersection about 75,000 years ago. Flour milled from different grains and mixed with water then baked on a fire-heated rock have been a staple for much of humanity for the past 5,000 years. In the Middle East its Pita and Lavash, Mexico it’s the tortilla; in Scotland its oatcake; in India, naan or chapatti; in China they call it po bin; the American First Nations made johnnycake; the Norwegians, flattbrod; in Ethiopia, injera; in ancient Israel, matzoh. The grains and flavors may be different but for a long time the cooking was remarkably similar. The most ancient original bread known to humans is flat bread and today, flatbreads taken together worldwide make up the largest total block in consumption of bread products.

Today, due to modern society’s increasingly complex dietary and regulatory demands there has been an explosion in the variety of flatbread types, baking methods, ingredients and formulation.  

About IFF

These complexities have created tremendous and growing challenges for all who seek to produce flatbreads commercially. The need for flatbread manufacturers to join forces, exchange information, share best practices, and learn the latest in formulation advances and regulatory requirements gave birth to the International Flatbread Federation or IFF.

- To learn more about BENEFITS OF JOINING IFF, please click HERE

- To learn about the Annual Conference HERE