Bread is a food which plays a symbolic role in The Hunger Games trilogy.
Breads from various districts.
District specialties
Each of the twelve districts of Panem has their own unique variety of bread. Each bread's shape, composition, and flavor is influenced by the district's industry and location.
- District 2 (Masonry): Dark and rectangular wholemeal roll.
- District 3 (Electronics): Bite-sized, square shaped rolls.[1]
- District 4 (Fishing): Salty, fish-shaped bread. Made with seaweed, giving it a green tint.[2]
- District 11 (Agriculture): Made with dark ration grain. It is crescent shaped and sprinkled with seeds.[3]
- District 12 (Coal Mining): Drop biscuits, usually made from the tessera grain. During the 74th Hunger Games training, Katniss remarked that the Capitol's version looked better than the ones from home.
Capitol specialties
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 bread is made from refined white flour. Different types of bread from the Capitol include:
Role of bread
- "Panem" (or simply "pan") 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 food and entertainment when they allowed the statement 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 first appearance.[6]
- In the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss receives bread from District 11 shortly after Rue's death. The bread was originally meant for Rue herself, but after her death, it was instead given to Katniss.
- To gain Katniss' trust, Bonnie and Twill show her a cracker with a mockingjay on it.[7]
District 11 bread
- The amount and type of bread that is given in the arena during Catching Fire serves as a countdown for a 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 and his parents are bakers for District 12. Peeta is a homonym for "pita", a type of Middle Eastern flat bread.
- The time Peeta gave Katniss burnt bread is the first connection between the two.
- In his interview, Peeta compares the tributes to their districts' bread with Caesar Flickerman. He also points out all the districts' breads 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 a loaf of bread by the Cornucopia. She picks it up as soon as the Games start, but loses it during the struggle with the boy from District 9 when she was trying to obtain the backpack.