Bread: Darfur’s Ubiquitous Food

Bread-making, done at home or in bakeries, is one of the most essential components of life in Darfur. In this region of Sudan, as in other parts of the world, bread is a regular fixture at almost every meal.

By Albert González Farran
 

Considering that Darfur is almost always a hot place, working in the bread-making business here requires significant physical endurance, as the heat in a local bakery is as high as the demand for this popular food. Bread-making is one of the most essential components of life in Darfur. In this region of Sudan, as in other parts of the world, bread is a regular fixture at almost every meal.

Thousands upon thousands of loaves of bread are made and sold in bakeries each day across Darfur. Given the extremely small profit margins, one could say that Darfur’s bread-makers are driven by motives other than profit. Bread is so popular and essential in Darfur that the act of making it might even be considered a public service.

Some families make their own bread at home. They mill the grain manually using traditional grinding stones called Murhaka and Funduk, with techniques that derive from hundreds of years of tradition, passed down from generation to generation. The Murhaka and Funduk are ubiquitous tools in Darfur’s rural and low-income homes. Outside of the cities and larger towns in Darfur, modern electric-powered grinders are rare because they are priced beyond the reach of most families.

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Dough is shaped into loaves prior to being placed on staging trays before baking. Loaves share a common shape in Darfur. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID.