Tag: Edeka

Mestemacher Westfälischer Pumpernickel

Appearance: pleasant. In terms of shape, we’re talking a classic rectangular shape, very thin slices, nice corners.
Taste: not as bitter as most pumpernickels. Also pleasant. If we are to believe the label, this bread has won awards for taste.

Packaging: The packaging is a bit sweaty–one must be careful when removing a piece so as not to break it because it does break very easily. The pieces are pressed very closely together and I’ve even used a knife to slide between them to ensure a clean removal.

Toastability: I would say this bread does not taste that different toasted as compared to plain. Maybe it is an untoastable bread? More research required on toast-resistant qualities.
Texture/Density: Chewy and dense but again, not a great surface/platform, as the consumer must be very careful while eating that crumbles/breaks do not occur. I understand that this bread was cooked at some point but for some reason it gives the impression that it was not, if that makes sense? Like how could it have been?
Other positives: Vegan.
Marketing: Ok I have questions. Mainly, am I missing something?? Really do not understand this image and how it relates to this bread. Is this a reference to Nordrhein-Westfalen that I do not understand? Is NRW known for being particularly white, straight and fond of partners who are fond of pumpernickel? 

“Brot-Delikatesse mit feinem süßlichen Geschmack, der durch die lange, schonende Backzeit von bis zu 20 Stunden entsteht.” I can’t be the only one now reading this “long, gentle baking time” as somewhat sensual… 

OVERALL RATING: 7/10, without marketing would be an 8.5/10, but I’m sorry I just can’t endorse this image and I really want to live in a world where I can pick up a loaf of bread and don’t have to worry about that bread also being unnecessarily sexualized. I guess sex really does ruin everything.

Disappointment Awaits: Vital & Fit Mehrkornbrötchen from Edeka

Edeka’s house brand, “Gut & Günstig”, does a bag of “Brötchen zum fertigbacken”

!

I think I thought I liked this bread at first because I was really seduced by the concept/price. 8 pieces for a euro! That is a great deal. And at the beginning you do feel  more like an active participant in the bread process because you have to heat it up/cook it and everything! But I’ve quickly soured on the idea: while appropriate for larger brunches or meals, this bag of bread is actually incredibly impractical for one person, as I’m not going to heat an individual piece of bread in the oven for 8 to 10 mins (and that’s after you allow the oven to preheat).

Packaging: Pleasant at first but more sinister the longer you look at it. The palette chosen is that classic purple  and light green color combo and the (presumable fit and healthy but really HOW would we know) woman jogging on the front has actually disproportionately long legs if you think about it. Unattainable beauty standards everywhere you look these days.

Taste: This is a very soft brown bread with seeds interspersed. Not sure it tastes like anything but in a pleasant-ish way? At first I was pretty pleased bc i felt the little seeds were nice little signifiers of the promised “fiber”. But then I started to worry that maybe it was just white bread that they dumped food coloring into? Because if you start to look the color is a consistent honey brown that’s a bit too consistent? Like they could easily have just dyed it…so will keep you posted on anything we discover on that front.
Pairing recommendation: To be honest, I think you need something stronger to go with this bread; it doesn’t have enough of a flavor of its own so a simple topping like just hummus or avocado leaves something to be desired. Also because of the classic brötchen shape (very thick/rounded), you can’t be as in charge of the ratio of topping to bread as much as you might like: some bites are inevitably going to be more bread-heavy than others, and you’re just going to have to deal with that. Makes this bread really conducive, again, to the brunch environment where you can just keep adding more toppings, rather than a sandwich environment where you can’t.
Overall review: A fantastic price, but not the best bread for eating alone. 4.9/10

Finnisch Toasties

I would like to start this blog post with a word about my toaster, RIP. Said toaster inexplicably began flipping the power switch when used. I tried every outlet in the kitchen to the same result: not when plugged in, mind you, only at the moment when the toasting lever was pushed down. I even unplugged various other devices (fridges, etc) and plugged the toaster into their sockets, but the switch still flipped. Confusing! So the toaster is no more, and in its absence my toast and toasted-bread consumption has dropped considerably, hence the delay between my previous posts and this one. I’ve now been toasting in the oven, which is, unfortunately, inefficient and unsustainable. Will keep u posted on all further developments.

eaten with: butter, cheese, avocado, beans, eggs, u name it

price: 99 cents…can’t decide if this is a good deal or not, as each package contains only 4 top +bottom pairs, i.e. 8 slices.

purchased at: Edeka, but have in the past seen similar versions at Netto and Aldi…worth exploring

packaging: Love that it gives you a “TIPP” on the packaging about how best to enjoy this bread: toasted and warm! But we already knew that. Otherwise, I don’t really understand the packaging? Divided into two sections and is very plastic-intensive.

health factor: probably fine? Hearty/fibrous, is brown

Texture: fantastic! Incredible range of toasting possibilities, from slightly warm to crisped edges, all the way to that jaw-wearying crunch we all know and love. I think texture is the main advantage of this bread; it is on the whole smooth, not nutty or grainy, but never goes too soft, always remains chewy and tough.

Physical qualities: thin but not too thin, rounded shape, porous, mostly flat but slightly concave.

Taste: It doesn’t taste like nothing, but then again I couldn’t really say that it tastes like anything.

Discussion of qualities: This is probably my favorite bread thus far, as it is incredibly versatile. It has an excellent design, in that the rounded concave shape tends to hold everything on top of it very easily. Well-suited for toasts, pizza-toasts, sandwiches, you name it. After so many positive toast experiences with this bread, I was afraid to try it just warmed, with butter, but even that was very delicious! As mentioned, there is no sharp taste that would make this bread incompatible with a certain food group. Definitely a comfort-bread more than an avant-garde bread. Easy to get along with.

Overall rating: 7.9 / 10

The Inaugural Bread Blog Bread Review: Whole & Pure, “Voll mit dem Besten”

selling point: It’s bread that’s almost entirely nuts or something like that?
qualities: sweet taste, refreshing, nutty so lots of good texture, lots of layers within the bread leads to an interesting textural eating experience (breaks apart in an interesting way). Reassuringly oily. Thick. Not a strong taste, again mildly sweet, definitely texture is its strength.
eaten with: avocado (sliced, not mashed) and then later also hummus
good for: hiking, breakfast,…?
not good for: Could be difficult to toast? Didn’t really try to toast because was afraid would crumble apart in the toaster? But that being said, not as crumbly as seed bread COULD be. I don’t think it really needs to be toasted, as a lot of this bread’s strength comes from it’s texture and cool/moistness, which might be lost if toasted. Remember, this bread already has a built-in crunch.
price: very expensive, 3.90 if I remember correctly. But very dense and filling, so you don’t really need more than one slice. Lasted several days.
packaging and presentation: Package is a calm tan + white with a clear folie strip (for looking at your bread in the supermarket, presumably). The packaging makes some pretty wild claims like “die neue Brotsensation!”. I don’t necessarily disagree, but what is this based on??

friendly review: “A marriage of opposites: crunchy yet moist”

overall rating: hard to say, really. I really like this bread, so I think if I were to start a rating scale right off the bat it could end up being a bit skewed because of how much I enjoyed this bread. So I think I’m going to hold off on the rating for now and maybe come back later when I’ve done some more sampling.

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Snarky side complaint:

Website description is as follows:

“Brot als Auslöser von Revolutionen kennen wir. Dieses Brot allerdings ist selbst eine Revolution: Ohne Zusatz von Mehl und Hefe gebacken, feiert Whole & Pure die Kraft des ganzen Kornes, die volle Wucht des Geschmacks, die Lust an der Vitalität des Ursprünglichen. Whole & Pure ist voll mit dem Besten, was die Natur uns bietet.”

Classic revolutionary language being coopted and represented as marketing campaign. The “whole” individual self is not a revolution!! Drowning.