Bark bread facts for kids

Bark bread is a unique type of bread that people made when food was very scarce. It was created by adding ground-up phloem (the soft, inner bark of certain trees) to regular flour. This helped the flour last longer and made more food available during tough times.

What is Bark Bread?

Bark bread isn't like the bread we usually eat today. It was a survival food. People would grind the inner bark of trees, like Scots pine, into a fine powder. This powder was then mixed with a small amount of grain flour. The bark helped to stretch the limited flour supply. It also provided some nutrients, though it wasn't as nutritious as regular grain.

Why Was It Eaten?

People ate bark bread during famines. A famine is a time when there isn't enough food for everyone. This often happens because of bad weather, like too much rain or not enough, which can ruin crops. When crops failed, people had to find other ways to get food. Bark bread was one of these emergency foods.

A History of Survival

Bark bread was mostly used in Northern Europe. This includes countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It was especially common during the 1700s and early 1800s.

The Little Ice Age

During the mid-1700s, Northern Europe experienced a period called the Little Ice Age. This wasn't a full ice age, but it meant colder temperatures and more extreme weather. These conditions made it very hard for farmers to grow enough grain. Many crops failed, leading to widespread food shortages. People had to get creative to survive.

Emergency Foods

Governments and communities looked for ways to feed their people. In 1742, samples of "emergency bread" were sent to the government in Copenhagen. These samples came from Kristiansand, Norway. One type was bark bread. Other unusual ingredients were also tried, like bread made from burned bones. During the Napoleonic Wars (early 1800s), even moss was used as a food source.

When Was Bark Bread Last Used?

The last time bark bread was widely used as a famine food in Norway was during the Napoleonic Wars. These wars caused many problems, including food shortages.

The Rise of the Potato

After the Napoleonic Wars, a new crop became very popular: the potato. Potatoes are much easier to grow in different climates than grain. They also produce a lot of food from a small area. The introduction of the potato as a main food source meant that farmers had another option when grain crops failed. Because of potatoes, emergency foods like bark bread and moss cakes were no longer needed as much.

Later Uses

Even after the potato became common, bark bread was still used in some places. In Northern Sweden, the Sami people harvested bark from Scots pine trees for food as late as the 1890s. In Finland, a type of bark bread called pettuleipä (which means "pinewood-bark bread") was made. This happened during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. It shows how important this survival food could be during times of crisis.