World bread day

On 16 October, World Bread Day is observed around the world. Established in 2006 at the initiative of the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners, it coincides with World Food Day and the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1945. The occasion draws attention to the importance of cereals in our daily diets and to food security worldwide.

In many Asian countries, including Japan, rice has historically been the staple food and a principal source of carbohydrates. In many European culinary traditions, bread made from wheat and rye plays an important role. In Ukrainian food culture, bread holds a central place as a symbol of prosperity, hospitality, and a deep spiritual connection between generations.

Cereal cultivation on Ukrainian lands has a long history reaching back to the Trypillian culture. During the period of the Kyivan state in the ninth to thirteenth centuries, grain was an important part of the economy and trade. Today, Ukraine remains an important wheat producer and exporter. According to FAO estimates, Ukraine’s wheat harvest in 2025 amounted to approximately 23.3 million tonnes.

In Ukraine, large bread factories and small bakeries meet daily demand for rye and wheat bread. Among the country’s favourite baked goods are pampushky: small, fluffy buns that can be either savoury or sweet. Garlic pampushky, often served with borshch, are especially well known. Other favourites include fragrant dark sourdough bread and hearty pyrizhky with various fillings, also familiar to many people in Japan. Alongside everyday baking, longstanding ceremonial traditions of making korovai and festive kalach breads continue.

Since the war began in 2014, and throughout russia’s full-scale invasion since 2022, Ukrainian bakers have continued working, including under shelling and during power outages, to provide people with an essential food.

In Japan, bread and other baked goods became widespread in the second half of the twentieth century. Today, numerous independent bakeries and family-run businesses operate alongside large manufacturers. Soft, tin-baked shokupan (食パン) holds a special place in Japanese food culture, as do breads with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings. An appreciation of good baking connects cultures and shows how bread adapts to local tastes.

Explore Ukrainian baking through the “Liia’s Kitchen / ふるさとの味” video podcast episode about making pampushky. Watch the video and try baking them at home:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmU3q6OytBc