Bread Quote by Anthony Bourdain
““The joke went that everyone gained 5 pounds in baking class. I could see what they meant. It was held in the morning, when everyone was starving, and after a few hours of hard labor, hefting heavy sacks of flour, balling and kneading dough, loading giant deck and windmill ovens with cinammon buns, croissants, breads and rolls for the various school-operated dining rooms, the room would fill with the smell. When the finished product started coming out of the ovens, the students would fall on it, slathering the still-hot bread and buns with gobs of butter, tearing it apart and shoveling it in their faces. Brownies, pecan diamonds, cookies, profiteroles — around 10 percent of the stuff disappeared into our faces and our knife rolls before it was loaded into proof racks and packed off to its final destinations. It was not a pretty sight, all these pale, gangly, pimpled youths, in a frenzy of hunger and sexual frustration, shredding bread. It was like Night of the Living Dead, everyone seemed always to be chewing.””
About This Quote
Source Television: Parts Unknown, Season 3, Episode 4, 2015
Excessive hunger and stress can turn a mundane activity into chaotic, almost grotesque behavior.
In simple terms: Hunger and stress make people act wildly.
Recognize how basic needs affect behavior.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- school kitchens
- late‑night work
- stressful environments
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does hunger change group dynamics?
- What coping strategies help in high‑stress settings?
Ignoring basic needs can lead to loss of control.