Horsebread

Horsebread was a type of bread sometimes consumed in medieval Europe. This bread was, at the time, considered a low-quality bread, made from legumes (such as dry split peas) and bran[1] as well as or instead of grains such as oats, maize, and seeds like ground acorns; it was one of the cheapest breads available. As the name suggests, it was allegedly fit only for horses to eat, but for many of the poorer people, as well as in times of famine, this bread sustained them. It was associated with poverty - since those who could afford white bread (which was the most labour-intensive, and therefore expensive, bread) considered horse bread and other breads like rye or barley breads unfit for their position in society.[2][3]

White breads were generally eaten by only the middle class and wealthy, because of the labour involved in refining flour. This is in contrast with modern whole-grain breads, which are typically seen as premium-priced health foods or gourmet foods. This is in part because modern flour has a higher gluten content than flour produced in medieval Europe, so bread made from less-refined flour is more palatable than it would have been during the Middle Ages.[4]