Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)It is delightfully convenient to buy bread on Amazon.com! It is also very nice to be able to buy EUROPEAN bread. I don't remember what health-food book I read this in, but, in passing, this book mentioned that Americans, (especially American children), who visit Europe are often heard to joyfully be saying: "Have you tasted the BREAD?!!!!!"
MESTERNACHER THREE-GRAIN BREAD is my first European bread. It is tasty, (I was afraid I wouldn't like the taste) -- yet, my American taste still would like a sweeter bread. Still, not bad tasting at all. The truly wonderful thing about this bread, however, is that IT CONTAINS NO WHEAT! Wheat has its place in the diet, I suppose...but limiting it is important, because, amongst other things, wheat is said to be bad for people with arthritis of ANY kind, and wheat is also said to be bad for ANYONE'S eyes. I'm not too knowedgeable about wheat's good and bad qualties -- but I do know the above two facts. I also have heard bad things about wheat GLUTEN. Presumably, wheat products without the gluten are better than those with gluten. Mestermacher Three-Grain Bread, however, has NO WHEAT AT ALL. So, one does not have to worry about any bad effects of wheat, at all!
What does this bread have in it, if it doesn't have wheat? The ingredient list is:
Whole Kernel Rye
Water
Wholemeal Rye Flour
Oat Kernels
Barley Kernels
Linseed
Salt
Oat Fibre
Sesame
Yeast
It is mentioned underneath the ingredients list that this bread containes Sesame. Obviously, some people are allergic to sesame. And, perhaps, some of the other ingredients? Anyway, the ingredient list is above...and, of course, on each loaf wrapper.
Also listed are special attributes of this bread:
No preservatives
Kosher = K parev
High Fibre
Cholesterol Free
Natural Ingredients
Long Shelf Life
Wheat Free
The second-to-the-last attribute, "Long Shelf Life" is due to the fact that THIS BREAD IS PASTEURIZED. (But, as mentioned above, it still tastes pretty good, unlike many other pasteurized products....) The expiration date on the bread I have bought, is 12 - 12 - 2010 -- NINE MONTHS from the day I first opened the package, (YESTERDAY), and ate my first piece!
Opened loaves, (there are 12 in the package), must be refrigerated, and eaten within 4 days. But each loaf contains only 7 slices! This makes it easy to eat the entire (nice and thinly-sliced) loaf in the required 4 days. It' interesting that there are SEVEN pieces in each loaf. Usually, of course, it takes TWO pieces of any type of bread to make a sandwich.....
But this bread is NOT shaped square-ishly, like most American breads. No, as can clearly be seen from the photos here, it is RECTANGULARLY shaped. This would seem to make it easy to simply slice the bread in half, and make a small sandwhich from the two pieces. However, the texture of this bread will not allow this. Or, at least the texture of the bread I bought will not allow this. As I said, the bread I have has a shelf-life of NINE months (left?). I have no idea how long the bread's shelf-life is, when it first is baked. IF it is one year, than I am missing three months -- and the bread, though fresh(ish?) is very, (very) slightly brittle. As a single-slice, it breaks off neatly, but if I was to try to cut it in half, and make a sandwich, I'm sure many, many crumbs would result. Maybe this would happen even if the bread were at its freshest: the picture on the wrapper shows an OPEN-FACED sandwich "serving suggestion", using only one piece of bread....
Or perhaps, because of the ALL-natural ingredients, no "dough conditioners" or other ingredients to make the bread soft enough to "fold", as most American breads do. I wish a natural dough-conditioner, (or other ingredient), could be found, so that this fine, natural bread, would be as pliable as American breads are.
I guess this "unfoldability" is my main complaint about this bread, and why I give it only 4 stars. It is, however, quite good tasting, (minus the American-type sweetness I, personally, so enjoy), and it does make one feel good that one is NOT eating wheat, and is enjoying all-natural ingredients, and a high-fibre content, whilst eating this tasty bread!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Mestemacher Fitness Bread, 17.6-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12)
Mestemacher all natural whole grain, sourdough based bread with whole rye, oat kernels and wheat germs. Carries the Whole Grain Association's stamp of 100% excellent source of whole grain. Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods, and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Long shelf life obtained through pasteurization. Imported from Germany by Carl Brandt, Inc. Original German Fitness Bread in U.S. marketplace. Also delicious when toasted.
Click here for more information about Mestemacher Fitness Bread, 17.6-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12)
