Plants are vital to the survival of all life on Earth--plants transform the light of the sun into energy that is usable to other life on Earth. Without plants, animals would not be able to survive. However, some plants are more important than others, either for biological or cultural reasons. In my country, Bulgaria, I would say that the wheat that is used to produce bread has come to be the most important plant, not just because bread is a staple food, but also for other cultural reasons.  

Virtually every Bulgarian eats bread at least twice a day. I, for example, had bread at breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday. For most Bulgarians, bread is an integral part of a meal, and a meal without bread is not a meal. In fact, if I have dinner with my American friends and do not eat bread, I actually feel hungry even if I have filled myself with potatoes or other food while eating with them. Many of my friends have made similar comments to me. So, I believe that bread is as much a part of our daily lives as work or talking on the telephone is.  

However, bread is much more than just a staple food to most Bulgarians--it represents the very sustenance of much of our culture. Our history teachers tell us that the development of wheat as an agricultural product was largely responsible for the advancement of Bulgarian culture--since wheat was portable and had a long storage time, people had more freedom to move and were less susceptible to changes in the weather. For me, then, wheat is more than just a plant--it is the very sustenance of most Bulgarians.  

In short, wheat is by far the most important plant in Bulgaria. Were it removed from Bulgarian society, Bulgaria would change drastically, perhaps even have a famine much like the Irish Potato Famine of the 1800`s. Wheat is the very lifeblood of Bulgaria.

Twitter