What A White Bread Democracy Could Learn From A Kingdom of Rye

from Eating Liberally:



What A White Bread Democracy Could Learn From A Kingdom of Rye
Submitted by KAT on Fri, 11/12/2010 - 6:08pm.


Does the term "white bread" say "all things 'burby and bland," to you? Don't be fooled by this uber-processed slice of whiteness. Beneath its pale golden crust, white bread whispers some dark truths about our values: we cherish convenience and shelf life above taste and texture; cheapness is next to godliness, wellness be damned; and man can always find a way to improve on nature.

Highly refined flour has only the wheat's starchy endosperm, minus the nutritious--but more perishable--bran and germ. No nutrients? No problem! Just add a bunch of vitamins and minerals at the end of the process. Problem solved.

It's whole grains that go against the grain in America. Too darned assertive, and so time-consuming to chew! Our allegiance to this Pillsbury-Doughboy-pokable/Play-Doh-pliable product symbolizes, above all, a culture that resists resistance, and has better things to do than chew.

So, we're low on fiber, morally and culinarily, leaving us perpetually consternated and constipated. We'd give a shit, if only we could.

The citizens of Denmark, on the other hand, revere "Rugbrød," the very antithesis of our Wonder Bread. It's a dense, dark, high-fiber, low-gluten rye bread that Oprah Winfrey famously fell in love with last year when she attended the ill-fated Climate Change summit in Copenhagen. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://livingliberally.org/eating/blog/What-White-Bread-Democracy-Could-Learn-Kingdom-Rye

"So put up another pot of tea, and pass the Wonder Bread. Just don't dunk it; it will dissolve into a soggy mess faster than a Glenn Beck pity party."

leads into the support of the "Rye Bread Prject"

"...the rye bread project was formed by chef Trina Hahnemann and researcher Claire Hartten to explore
Nordic food traditions in terms of health and well-being, and especially as they might support the growth of children and
help combat increasing levels of obesity and diabetes. The project has become real venture thanks to the support of the
Consulate General of Denmark and a collaboration with Robert LaValva, the founder of New Amsterdam Market, Simo
and Tuomas Kuusisto of Nordic Breads, restaurateur and craft-beer specialist Jimmy Carbone, and Shelley Rogers, maker
of the documentary film What’s Organic About Organic?"

and still remember the bread. It was seemingly composed of whole grains stuck together with minimal dough, and delicious. It was remarkable to me because I had never seen bread that whole grain before (and we didn't eat Wonder bread in our house, we ate a lot of old-fashioned rye bread from a local bakery).

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