Old Superstitions That Still Shape How We Eat, Cook, and Share Food

The heel of the bread has lived many lives. In one house, it is the prized piece for toast; in another, it gets ignored until someone finally turns it into crumbs or feeds it to the birds. Older habits gave that last piece a little more meaning. Keeping the end of the loaf could suggest that the home still had food, that the pantry had not been emptied, and that tomorrow’s meal was not in danger.