Hi, I’m Mariam. I’m nine years old, and bread has always been a big part of our family.
But our bread story actually began long before I was born.
In the 1940s, my great-grandmother lived through a time of terrible hunger. Her family lost two children to starvation. With very little food available, her family made bread from seeds to survive.
When Balam was born, my great-grandmother was 99 years old, and her story is still part of our family.
Many years later, my mom and dad started making bread at home again. This time, they wanted to make healthy bread that they would feel good about putting on the table for me, my brothers, and my sister.
We tried different recipes together. We tasted them, changed them, and tasted them again. Eventually, our family bread became something we wanted to share with other families.
My great-grandmother used to call us “balam.” In her native language, it means “my child.” That is why we named our bread Balam.
From seeds.
From our family.
And now, for yours.