It was on this date in 1928 that sliced bread went on sale for the first time. Up until then, consumers baked their own bread, or bought it in solid loaves. Otto Frederick Rohwedder, a jeweler from Davenport, Iowa, had been working for years perfecting the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. He tried to sell it to bakeries, but they told him that presliced bread would get stale and dry long before it could be eaten. He tried sticking the slices together with hatpins, but it didn't work. Finally, he hit on the idea of wrapping the bread in waxed paper after it was sliced. Still no sale, until he took a trip to Chillicothe, Missouri, and met a baker who was willing to take a chance. Frank Bench agreed to try the five-foot-long, three-foot-high slicing and wrapping machine in his bakery. The proclamation went out to kitchens all over Chillicothe, via ads in the daily newspaper: "Announcing: The Greatest Forward Step in the Baking Industry Since Bread was Wrapped — Sliced Kleen Maid Bread." Sales went through the roof, and now Chillicothe is claiming bragging rights as the Home of Sliced Bread, selling commemorative ornaments, tote bags, and "sliced bread" candles.
-The Writer's Almanac
-The Writer's Almanac
6 comments:
a Saturday post. how nice.
ta ta, Boo Boo ♥
A Saturday post and you rose to the task. Not bad you crusty ol' bird.
loved the hat pin theory:]
sliced bread, WD-40, and country western music, not to negate the blues, hamburgers, and hotdogs, all Americana.
You loaf around too much! You got to cut-it-up buddy, rise to the occasion and take a bigger slice. Don't get all stale and crusty, butter that piece of dough up and break it with friends.
Did he invent a spiral hot dog cutter?
Post a Comment