Not a baguette, not a focaccia. The best bread in the world was chosen. Poland only came in 93rd place.

Bread – alongside the wheel and fire – is one of the pillars of civilization. It can be crunchy, soft, sweet, or sour. Experts from the culinary guide Taste Atlas decided to systematize its various varieties, creating a ranking of the 100 best breads in the world. Naan bread with butter and garlic topped the list.

Naan, a flat, yeast-based bread baked from wheat flour in a clay oven called a tandoor, doesn't seem like anything sophisticated. But this bread, typical of Kashmiri cuisine, is an excellent accompaniment to thick sauces, including those with meat and legumes. Its simple recipe has earned it fame beyond Central Asian cuisine. Its popularity is evidenced not only by its presence on social media but also by its top spot on the Taste Altas rankings. According to the experts in this culinary guide, naan with butter and garlic is unrivaled.

In second place is the Amritsari kulcha, originating from the northern Indian city of Amritsari. It's a flatbread stuffed with potatoes, onions, cottage cheese, and spices. It's typically garnished with cilantro and red chili pepper.

Rounding out the podium is roti canai – a popular, layered, fried flatbread originating from Malaysia but with roots in Indian cuisine. It's made from flour, water, and fat (often ghee) . The dough is folded and stretched repeatedly, resulting in a crispy exterior and a soft interior.

Just outside the top three is the Colombian pan de bono. Shaped like small rolls, these breads are made from cassava starch, corn flour, queso fresco cheese, eggs, and sugar. Breads typical of Indian cuisine undoubtedly triumph in this ranking. This is also evidenced by the parotta, which comes in fifth place. It's a layered flatbread made from refined flour, eggs, and oil. It's common in southern India.

A baked good closer to European palates is pão Alentejano, a wheat bread from the Alentejo region of Portugal. It is round, with a thick, crispy crust, a firm, fluffy crumb, and a slightly sour flavor.

The next places in the top ten were occupied by: classic naan bread, Italian piada, Brazilian pão de queijo, and bolo do caco, a sourdough bread from Madeira made with wheat flour, sweet potato puree, water, and salt . Outside the top ten were the Parisian baguette and Italian focaccia.

The Polish representative in this ranking is Prądnicki bread, which ranked 93rd. This traditional Krakow bakery product has a dark, crispy crust and soft flesh, baked with rye sourdough. It comes in large loaves – up to 14 kg – and is a protected geographical indication in the European Union.