Bread

Bread plays a symbolic role in The Hunger Games trilogy.

District specialties
Each district has a unique variety of bread.


 * District 2: Dark and rectangular wholemeal roll.
 * District 3: Bite-sized, square shaped rolls.
 * District 4: Salty, fish-shaped bread. It contains seaweed, which gives it a green tint.
 * District 11: Made using dark ration grain. It is crescent shaped and sprinkled with seeds.
 * District 12: Drop biscuits, usually made from tessera grain. During the 74th Hunger Games training, Katniss remarked that the Capitol's version looked better than the ones from home.

Bread in the Capitol
Several varieties of bread are seen in the Capitol. In contrast to several of the poorer districts whose bread is made from rough ration grain, Capitol breads are made from refined white flour. Different breads from the Capitol include:


 * Flower shaped rolls
 * Puffy bread

Role of bread

 * "Panem" is Latin for "bread." It is most notably a part of the infamous Roman political phrase panem et circenses, or "bread and circuses." The people of the Capitol essentially gave up their autonomy and humanity in exchange for "bread and circuses" when they allowed the instatement of the Hunger Games, therefore this name is very appropriate.


 * Gale holds a loaf of bread with an arrow through it and says, "Look what I shot", in his very first appearance.


 * In the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss receives bread from District 11 shortly after Rue's death.
 * The amount and type of bread that is given in the arena during Catching Fire serves as a countdown for start of the rebellion. Bread seems so innocent, yet was used in communication between mentor and tribute for the start of a rebellion in the 75th Hunger Games.
 * Peeta, along with his parents, is a baker for District 12. Peeta sounds like pita, which is a type of bread.
 * The time Peeta gave Katniss burnt bread is the first connection between the two.
 * In his interview, Peeta jokes about bread with Caesar Flickerman. He also points out all the district bread to Katniss when they are having lunch.
 * The District 12 marriage tradition ("The Toasting") is a literal meeting of bread and fire, which serve symbolically for Peeta and Katniss in the novels.
 * In the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss discovers bread by the Cornucopia. She picks it up as soon as the Games start, but loses it during the struggle with the District 9 male when trying to get the backpack.