I am not a food
critic, but I do like food—good food—especially baked goods. I
have a tremendous appreciation for freshly baked goods and the
laborious process that goes into making them, in part because I come
from a family of bakers, and partly because of my experiences.
As an college
student, I was fortunate enough to spend 2 years in Europe, where my
palate became accustomed to the sometimes subtle, sometimes
characteristic flavors and textures of the breads. During my travels
abroad, I became acquainted with bakeries in France, Germany, and
Italy. Upon my return to the U.S., it was more apparent than ever
how different the European bakery scene is from the typical American
one. Not only are the breads themselves different in terms of
flavor, aroma, appearance, and texture, but also the manner in which
bread is sold and purchased. For example, in
the United States there are far fewer outdoor markets than in your
average European city. Europeans tend to walk to their local bakery,
whereas in America, we drive to our grocery stores, in which
commercial breads prepackaged in plastic or cellophane wrappers are
sold. In the last ten years or so, honest to goodness bakeries have
been incorporated into the American grocery stores. These bakeries
produce freshly baked breads just as is and has been done in Europe.
The
purpose of this essay is to document the wonderful breads of
Worcester, one of the oldest industrial cities of the Northeast. A
melting pot of different ethnicities, Worcester is a unique city that
offers the opportunity to experience the cultural variance in baked
goods from several different countries. There are numerous bakeries
in the city of Worcester, and I took it upon myself to visit each one
in order to sample the different varieties of bread offered. All
bakeries included in this list produce all of their own baked goods
daily, on location, and all breads are made from scratch.
One of the best
loved Scandinavian bakeries in the Worcester area, the Crown Bakery &
Cafe offers predominantly Swedish food items. A best-seller at the
Crown is the Swedish rye bread, which is made with a blend of wheat
and rye. There are two variations of Swedish rye. The original,
known as 'limpa', is shaped by hand and baked in an open hearth oven.
The second variety is Swedish-American rye, which is baked in a form
pan giving it a softer crust than the original. Both varieties have
a unique flavor characteristic of anise, with a hint of molasses.
Located on
Cambridge St., Culpepper's is an Italian bakery that serves breakfast
and lunch. Their breads include traditional Italian, French, wheat,
rye, sourdough, cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, and marble.
The
European Bakery & Pastry Inc. offers a multitude of different
breads including
rye,
multigrain, country, Lithuanian (made of rye, wheat, and barley
flours, along with molasses), and Russian, which is made from rye and
wheat flour. Of these, their white rye is one of their most popular
breads.
Bay State
Bakery, Inc. and George's bakery are Lebanese bakeries that both
specialize in Syrian flatbread. This popular item is sold wholesale
to other Syrian and Lebanese bakeries nearby.
In business for
17 years, Giovanni's is a family-run bakery, and is one of the
several Italian bakeries in the area. Popular items include finger
rolls, dinner rolls and mini pastries. Their best-seller is their
Italian bread made
with all-purpose high gluten flour, molded by hand and baked in a
pan.
Another
highly popular Italian bakery, Wholly Cannoli is well-known for their
cannolis, but also makes foccacia and Italian bread per customer
order.
Helen's Bakery
Shop, a family-run business that has been in Worcester for decades,
is primarily Swedish, but offers a multitude of items of various
other nationalities. Their Swedish rye is their best-seller. Helen's
additionally sells light Jewish rye, which is made with caraway
seeds, white mountain bread (a combination of white and Italian
breads), pumpernickel, and cinnamon raisin bread.
Mattero's
Italian Bakery and Sandwich Shop has been open for almost 15 years.
Their Italian bread is the best seller followed closely by their
soft-crusted Vienna loaves.
Miranda Bread,
a Brazilian bakery in business for eight years, offers Italian,
French, and cheese breads. About the size of your standard dinner
roll, Miranda's cheese bread is made from the starch of the yucca
plant. It's crusty exterior and fluffy interior make the cheese bread
a top selling item.
Mrs. Mack's
Bakery and Restaurant is a family business with Scotch-Irish roots.
All breads are hand-formed and baked on a rack. They sell everything
from your standard Italian bread to marble bread. Their best-seller
is their cinnamon-raisin bread, which is cut in thick slices and
served with a dollop of icing on the side. This item is highly
popular in part due to the generous load of cinnamon and raisins.
-SMK
