It has been written that "man cannot live on bread alone". That is probably true, but without bread the good culinary life would be much diminished. Following are my recommendations for seeking out what I consider the very best breads in the Western World.

Poilane: 8 rue de Cherche Midi, Paris 6. Worth a special trip to sample the herb flavored breads, the whole wheat rolls, and the country style cheese bread.

Ganachaud: 150 rue de Menilmontant, Paris 20. All of the breads here are made in wood burning ovens. There are many who claim that the world's best baguettes and croissants are baked in those ovens. I agree with them. Try as well the corn bread and the apple bread.

Rumbolds: 2 Heath Hurst Road, London NW3 and 4 Flask Walk, London NW 3. One of the finest, and most expensive, bread bakeries in England, but worth visiting to sample the rye bread, hot cross buns, Irish soda bread, Russian black bread and country style corn bread.

La Maison Blanc, 3 Woodstock Road, Oxford. The baguettes here are god-like, the petits pains (rolls) are good enough to die for, and the croissants are merely superb.

Flourings: 340 East 11th Street, New York City. In addition to the finest white bread in the United States, this lovely shop offers a marvelous selection of soft and hard rolls, ginger- bread, Swedish rye bread, and cinnamon bread, all of which are superb.

Silver Bell Baking Company: 4304 Junction Boulevard, Queens, New York. This Lithuanian family has been baking fine breads for nearly 90 years. Worth a special trip to try the Lithuanian bread which is flavored with cumin, the Polish black bread (with or without garlic) and the Scandinavian bread which is flavored with cinnamon and cardamom. (The bread of Silver Bell is also available at Balducci's at 424 6th Avenue in Manhattan).

Osteria Al Nono Risorto, Campo San Cassiano, Venice. This unpretentious but excellent little eatery bakes its own bread and sells it from a small window facing onto the canal. Try especially the thick crusted olive bread, the white bread with dried tomatoes and basil, and the herb flavored whole wheat bread.

La Bouqueria (also known as the Mercat de Sant Josep), Las Ramblas, Barcelona. Located near the great theatre is a general market and worth visiting not only for the great breads sold here by more than a dozen producers but for anything else you might want for a picnic. Breads here weigh anywhere from 200 grams to 40 kilos, and all are delicious.

© Daniel Rogov