磚麥 - GROVBRØDHUSET： A journey to authentic Nordic bread

原文 Translator: Louis/易琛

Enjoy a taste of Nordic life with a slice of rye bread.

On Zhu Zhai street, just off Fu Heng 1st road, there’s a little shop with a character of its own. The doors and window frames are painted a bright yellow and potted plants bustle about the entrance. Above, a sign reads in Chinese and Norwegian: 磚麥 - GROVBRØDHUSET. Wholegrain Bakery.

This is the space created by baker and owner Yong Zheng and illustrator Yan, the husband and wife who work together to run “Taiwan’s first artisan Nordic sourdough bakery”.

Order the boss’ pour over coffee and pause for a moment inside

Yong Zheng’s recipe books, collected by while researching abroad

A charming everyday scene at the bakery, illustrated by Yan

After completing his military service, Yong Zheng, who has a degree in Biology, was working at a coffee shop and thinking about his career. One day, he happened to learn about Scandinavia’s food culture. Its emphasis on harmony with nature and “back to the basics'' approach resonated with him. An environmentally-friendly food system built on staples like rye bread and native ingredients including fish, seafood, berries, and nuts was an appealing philosophy. He decided to begin with bread. Starting from scratch with no baking experience, he used recipes found online and applied a methodical mindset fostered by his background in biology. Working step by step, he created his very own sourdough.

GROVBRØDHUSET’s sourdough cultures exude natural aromas of alcohol and fruit

Smiling, the logically-minded Yong Zheng says that making bread can be compared to undertaking a scientific experiment. It involves seeking out problems, finding solutions and carefully testing them. This approach can be seen in Yong Zheng’s process: endlessly trialling different rye to grain ratios, cultivating different starters and even controlling the temperature and humidity, he painstakingly adjusted his recipe, improving it with each version before finally arriving at the optimal flavour and texture.

Beneath the rugged exterior, a soft centre

Rye is Scandinavia’s main cereal crop. Resistant to both drought and cold, it has a higher nutritional value than wheat. If this hardy staple is the DNA that gives Nordic bread its essence, then the sourdough starter is its soul and the basis of its character. GROVBRØDHUSET’s starters are carefully nurtured, each giving off differing notes of fruit and alcohol as it ferments. This lends every batch of bread a distinct flavour and personality.

01. SPELT OG RUG (Spelt and Rye)
— 斯佩爾特和裸麥

A rugged crust and a springy inside with a gentle sourdough aroma. The tandem flavours of wheat and rye go well with cured meats, seafood, berries, fresh vegetables and a wide variety of ingredients: this is many customers’ first choice.

➠The head baker’s recommendation for an unbeatable loaf to suit any situation.

02. NORSK (The Norwegian)
－挪威人

A sturdy bread. Made with organic wheat flour and oats, this is one for those that enjoy a hearty chew.

➠A long-lasting loaf that offers good value for money.

03. NY DANSK (The New Dane)
－新丹麥人

The classic Danish loaf, with aromas of dark beer and cocoa as well as generous helpings of pumpkin seeds, linseed and sunflower seeds. Often used to make Danish-style open sandwiches, smørrebrød.

➠Danish people enjoy a lot of flavour from a young age.

04. SUOMEN (The Finn)
－芬蘭人

Made with organic Finnish whole rye and all the nutrition that comes with it, this is an unapologetically sour bread that will challenge unaccustomed taste buds.

➠This loaf is the pride of the Finns.

A restorative bakery at the heart of the big city

Entering GROVBRØDHUSET feels like walking into a friend’s home. Yong Zheng and Yan meet you with a warm greeting as they slice and package your order, retrieved from a shelf behind the counter. They take care to explain how to store the bread and warm it back up. When a regular comes in, the pair pause to chat a little over a hand poured coffee. What makes this small bakery so inviting - besides the aroma of fresh bread - is its amicable owners and the environment they’ve created.

Sometimes GROVBRØDHUSET seems more like a hub of knowledge that visitors turn to with all of their bread-related queries. For example – what are the differences between Nordic and other European breads? Even with their hands full slicing and wrapping, the husband and wife team receive these enquiries enthusiastically. When one customer was worried that their children and parents would find the bread too tough to chew, Yong Zheng and Yan shared their preferred method of dipping it in soy milk or thick soup. What makes things interesting is that customers can channel their own creativity to get the most from their loaf. For locals this often means a Taiwanese twist – like the sesame oil chicken that one regular enjoys on their bread.

GROVBRØDHUSET’s bread has provoked emotional reactions in some of its Norwegian visitors, unable to believe they would find the flavours of home in a city thousands of miles away. Besides appreciating the beauty of Nordic bread, Yong Zheng hopes that through his craft his customers can also find a little contentment of their own. It might be a quiet pause in the clamour of daily life, the pleasure of encountering new flavours or perhaps discussing Nordic food concepts with the owners, like:

Koselig!

(The joy found in interactions with others and the natural world)