Some people might not think that there would be a month dedicated to flour, but here we are in March celebrating National Flour Month. However, when you think about it, it’s not all that strange. After all, human civilization was built on flour.

It’s been estimated that flour was first made some 30,000 years ago in the Upper Paleolithic region of Europe. Originally, flour was made by Paleolithic peoples grinding grass seeds on stones, and then, as the years passed, the techniques for making flour were refined.

The Romans used cone mills to grind seeds into flour, and the Greeks would use watermills. Flour was important to ancient peoples and could mean the difference between feast or famine. Of course, flour is just as important nowadays as it was back then, and that’s why this month is celebrated in its name each year.

The History of National Flour Month

We were able to trace the history of this month back to the mid-1980s, but that’s where the trail goes cold. We simply couldn’t find out who invented it or why they invented it.

We’re going to assume that it was created by one of the big flour manufacturers, but we were unable to even verify that hunch. We’ll keep looking for National Flour Month’s origins, but more than likely, it’s been lost to history.

Some Fun Facts About Flour

Since flour is an important ingredient, we thought that we’d take a few moments and lay down some of the facts about flour that we’ve picked up over the past few years. We’ve listed these facts below, and we feel they will prove most entertaining to just about everyone.

• The first steam mill was unveiled in London in 1879.
• Flour was enriched with iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin during the 1930s in the U.S.
• Flour is flammable, and flour dust suspended in the air can be explosive.
• All-purpose flour has an average protein content, while cake flour has a low protein content.
• Pastry flour has a protein content situated between all-purpose and cake flours.
• The flour with the highest protein content is bread flour.

Observing National Flour Month

Flour is a staple in just about any kitchen, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to find ways to celebrate National Flour Month. You can try your hand at making bread or noodles, make gravy (gravy is a roux made using flour and fat), or try different types of flour for your baking projects.

No matter how you celebrate this month, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalFlourMonth to spread the word about it online.