Prompt Cast
The History and Challenges of Sliced Bread
TLDR Sliced bread, invented in 1928, faced initial challenges such as the bread going stale faster. However, it became popular due to its convenience and contributed to the rise in popularity of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Sliced bread is considered the greatest thing, but this episode explores what was considered the greatest thing before sliced bread.
01:26
The episode is sponsored by Arizona State University and the Travel Photography Academy.
02:41
Bread has been a staple food for civilizations throughout history, and while humans have been slicing bread by hand for thousands of years, creating an industrialized way to slice and sell bread has proven to be a challenge due to the softness of the bread.
03:50
Pre-sliced bread was invented in 1928, but it initially faced challenges such as the bread going stale faster due to each slice being exposed to the air.
04:59
Sliced bread became popular because it was quicker to prepare, easier to toast, and allowed for the rise in popularity of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
06:09
The ban on sliced bread during World War II was quickly reversed due to strong nationwide backlash, but the origin of the phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread" remains unclear.
07:21
Sliced bread was considered the greatest step forward in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.
