Driving up through the rolling farmland north of Seattle this July, I was thinking about my next meal. I arrived in the small industrial park, home to the Washington State University Bread Lab, for a gathering of wheat geneticists and other grain professionals. I'd missed the explanation of the items on the buffet tables, made by attendees. I loaded my plate with about a pound of cookies from the dessert end and steadily consumed the lot. They were soft and nutty, with a rich ruddy color and a delicate crumb. I wiped buttery crumbs from my fingers. I went back for more.
A rainbow shines over a sun-bathed wheat field east of Walla Walla, Wash.
Loaves of Wonder bread are displayed at a grocery store in Santa Clara, Calif.
Veronique Greenwood is a science writer. Follow her on Twitter.
How have your eating habits changed in the last few years, and why? How will they change in the future?