Le Pain des Fleurs Organic Crispbreads
Bread is one of the great passions of the French. And the undisputed star among French breads is the baguette. However, sales of the famous baguette have been declining for years. ”La baguette“ is not in danger of extinction, though, because 98% of the French still eat bread every day – just not as much as before. In the 1970s, one baguette per capita was consumed per day in the ”Grand Nation“. During the ”Belle Époque“ (1884 - 1914), the French ate three baguettes per day on average. The long white bread was by far the most important staple food during that time. And at the latest since the turn of the century, it has also been considered a culinary landmark of France. Nevertheless, the younger generation in particular no longer has an appetite for this much white bread per day.
Instead of baguettes, young French people increasingly eat pizza, burgers, kebabs or other international dishes. In addition, the normal baguette is no longer what it used to be. In order to increase production, leavening agents and other additives are used in many places. The result is affordable, but for many French people it is simply too bland. The counter trend to industrial baguettes is called ”baguette tradition“. For that term, the baguette must be baked on site and must not contain any additives. Only flour, water, yeast and salt are allowed to be added to the dough. In addition, the dough is kneaded longer and gets more time to rise. The result is an aromatic and particularly crispy baguette. We will have to wait and see whether the French national bread will regain its old popularity. As part of a more conscious diet, more and more people in France are replacing white flour products with whole grain products.
It is a common misconception that there is only one type of bread in France. The bakers in France can offer much more than just baguettes. There is, for example, the rustic bread (”le pain de campagne“), which is baked with wheat and rye flour. It is a classic farm-baked bread and is ideal for hearty toppings. A bit darker, but still significantly lighter than its German counterpart, is the rye bread (”le pain de seigle“). In addition to wholemeal bread, many bakeries now also offer multigrain bread (”pain aux céréales“). These often contain a mixture of crushed grains and seeds. A particularly popular variant is the dark Viking bread: (”le pain viking“) made from wheat, barley, rye, sesame, millet, flax and sunflower seeds. And then there is a bread that is completely different from all of the previously mentioned ones.
In 2000, an exceptional new bread was created in the Haute-Loire department in the heart of France. Unlike most other French breads, it was not made with wheat or rye. Instead, the flour used was made of 100% buckwheat grains. Inspired by the white flowers of the buckwheat, it was called ”Blumenbrot“ (”Le Pain des Fleurs“). For its unique, crispy texture, a special pressing process is used during the manufacturing process. Within a few years, the crispy bread slices established themselves as an alternative to other crispbread and rusks. No wonder that it was soon in high demand outside of France. Today, the gluten free Blumenbrot Organic Buckwheat Crispbread is already a classic in many organic stores.
Since the Organic Buckwheat Crispbread was so successful, the varieties Organic Quinoa Crispbread, Organic Chestnut Crispbread, Organic Multi-Grain Crispbread and Organic Onion Crispbread followed after only a few years. Blumenbrot Organic Crispbread offers diverse enjoyment and can be snacked at any occasion. The slices go well with an aperitif, dinner, buffets or just pure as a snack. Blumenbrot has created the variety Spécial Matin for a good start into the day. The luscious crispbreads are easier to butter. They are a filling alternative to toast or bread rolls at breakfast. Spécial Matin is available as Buckwheat, Corn, Multi-Grain and Chestnut Crispbread. The simple recipes of the purely plant-based Blumenbrot Organic Crispbread ensure gluten free varieties and pure enjoyment at any time of the day.
