In a move that adds depth and meaning to in-flight dining, Turkish Airlines recently began serving bread made with wheat sourced from Taş Tepeler in Southeastern Anatolia, one of the first regions where humans cultivated grain and baked bread some 12,000 years ago. The initiative connects directly to the airline's sponsorship of archaeological excavations at Taş Tepeler, where findings indicate early agricultural communities transitioned from gathering wild seeds to establishing the foundations of farming.
The small, warm loaves are served to business class passengers on overseas flights departing from Istanbul and come in cloth bags explaining their origin. In doing so, Turkish Airlines transforms a typically forgettable aspect of airline catering into a tangible marker of Turkey's role as a cradle of human civilization. The carrier's (re)introduction of 'the world's oldest bread' taps into an enduring consumer desire for products with genuine heritage and still-made-here appeal. The initiative goes beyond simply celebrating Anatolia's agricultural legacy — through its support of the Taş Tepeler excavations, Turkish Airlines demonstrates how brands can both honor and nurture the places they call home.
