Before we became familiar with the rubber erasers found in every school bag or office desk today, people used something completely unexpected to erase their mistakes: bread!
Yes, that soft piece we eat was once used as a writing correction tool centuries ago.
In the 18th century, before the discovery and use of rubber in stationery, people found that white bread crumbs when slightly dried could erase pencil marks from paper. A piece of bread’s inner part would be shaped and rubbed against the writing error, picking up the graphite particles just like an eraser, though with slightly less efficiency.
This practice was very common among writers, artists, and even students. Some would carry a small piece of bread with them for this purpose alongside their writing tools. What's even more interesting is that this wasn't just a temporary solution, it was widespread and well-known until rubber was discovered in South America and began to be used as a more effective material for making erasers.
In fact, the English word "rubber" (meaning eraser) comes from the verb "to rub", which reflects its use in rubbing out pencil marks.
Today, it may seem strange to replace a modern eraser with a piece of bread, but this historical fact shows how innovation can come from the simplest things around us even a dry piece of bread.
