It’s something so mundane you’ve likely never stopped to think about it longer than a few seconds – but suddenly, it has become a hot talking point.
People have been debating what you call the end piece of a bread all across social media, with many confused by the terms some have admitted to using.
On Reddit, a user simply asked: “What do you call this?” alongside a picture of the end slice of a load of bread.
Much to their surprise, they were inundated with comments from users – but many of them couldn’t agree on a name for it.
One user said: “I call it the heel. My kids call it the butt.” Another user said: “Can we call it a crust?”
A third user added: “Half of a dad sandwich. Meaning the kids don’t want it, so to avoid being wasteful, the dad ends up with two heels for his sandwich bread.”
One more user added: “The end piece. Never heard anyone call it the heel until this comment section.” Another user added: “I didn’t even think about it having a name!”
One more user said: “The crust is the other layer of the bread, but the end piece has crust on the sides as well as one of the faces, so it’s majority crust. Thus, it’s called the crust.” A final user added: “I just call it the end piece.”
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the correct term is ‘heel’. However, it isn’t just Brits who have been arguing over the name as it turns out other counties have other terms for it too.
A statement on Taste of Home reads: “We’ve all heard the saying, ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread’.
“While it may be a phrase we’ve heard spoken more times than we ever needed to hear, there’s a reason it’s become commonplace. Sliced bread is incredible. Sandwiches, subs, toast—you name it, you can make it.
“Whether it’s some fresh ciabatta, banana bread or gluten-free pumpkin bread—it’s all delicious. Even just a basic loaf of bread can make a bad day better. That’s a fact!
“But we’ve got some questions. You know, like, what is the end piece of bread called? It’s time we settled the debate.
“Norway and Sweden call it the ‘skalk.’ That one might be my favourite.
“It’s referred to as the ‘dupka’ in Poland, the ‘knust’ or ‘knerzel’ in Germany and the ‘kapje’ in the Netherlands. Scotland has been known to call theirs ‘outsiders’.
“Fitting and to the point! You may find they’re called ‘la tapa’ in Spanish or ‘patka’ in the Czech Republic. Whatever they’re called, I know we can all agree about how tasty they can be.”