[1] It is an ancient foodstuff and is thought to be one of the earliest ways in which the hunter gatherers in the Fertile Crescent ate grains.
A variety of parched grains have been used historically as a camp ration, both for military troops on maneuvers and civilian travelers on extended overland journeys.
It also had the advantage that it could be eaten without re-heating it, either dry or by soaking in water, and so would both reduce cooking time in the field and allow troops to travel without any campfires at all if needed.
It was a primary staple of the People's Liberation Army of China during the Long March as well, being one of the few items they were able to carry a significant supply of while on the move.
Early European accounts of Native Americans record 'parched corn' as one of the many ways the Iroquoian peoples cooked maize.