Korean Job Discussion Forums

[catieneely]

I know there have been other threads on bread, but I just wondered if anyone knew, specifically:

What is up with Korean, "100% Whole Wheat Flour"?

I absolutely do not have a problem, overall, with Korea. It's just this bread thing. I want a sandwich! And every time I use this, "100% Whole Wheat Flour", the bread comes out looking and tasting like... beige white bread.

I've tried every brand I can find. We live in Daejeon, so we don't have access to Seoul on a super regular basis. Maybe there's more variety there. And I can get Bob's Red Mill on G-market, but it would be so much easier just to know what was going on with Korean brands so I could buy it E-mart, or wherever.

Is the Korean flour packaging making stuff up? Is it 100% whole white wheat flour? I've never tried whole white wheat flour so I don't know what it looks/tastes like baked up. That seems like an unlikely hypothesis, though...

I guess my main concern is: I want whole grain bread. I don't care if it's some sort of mutant whole grain (okay, maybe I do a little), just so long as it's 100% whole grain.

I just want to know what I'm eating.

[moosehead]

I feel your pain. there are some places that have whole grain breads in Korea, and they are increasing all the time, your area I'm not familiar with. ask around, ask Koreans as well as foreigners; try Hyndai Dept store's grocer or Shinsegae, other high-end grocers, sometimes they have them first.

don't know what's in the flour you are describing but I agree, it's not the whole-wheat Westerners are used to.

you may just have to get used to it, like the rest of us do.

[NYC_Gal]

Some Paris Baguette shops have an omega fiber bread. It's still really soft, but better than the average stuff if you can't get into Seoul.

[catieneely]

I'm mostly curious just to know what the flour is, if it's not what I thought it was. But I'll probably never find out. Harder than the bread adjustment, has been the adjustment to not always getting answers to my questions! Maybe I ask too many questions...

I think I'll try Paris Baguette again. Maybe in the morning, before anything's sold out. We (husband and I) have gotten used to the fluffy bread - it makes super french toast - and now we just don't eat as much bread, which is probably healthier anyway. I may just have to give up soon.

Oh, well. I'm not currently working and it's been fun wandering the city and trying bread recipes.

Thanks a lot for the input.

[skdragon]

[jonathonrempel]

having the same problem. i am wondering about the package. it translate as "whole wheat 100% domestic". so what does "100%" refer to? the "whole wheat part" or the "domestic" part?

the other logical option is, is that korea could be using "white whole wheat" as they do in places like england, whereas in north america "red whole wheat" is used. white whole wheat has a lighter color and taste, but believe you me, if i can find the dark stuff even in whole grain form, i would buy it up and mill it myself because i too am missing that really hearty, dark bread. very

[denverdeath]

This one...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/denverdeath/Flour01.jpg

...says 통밀가루 on it which means tong=whole, mil=wheat, garu=flour.

Looking at the details...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/denverdeath/Flour02.jpg

...shows it being 100% Korean(meaning likely grown and processed here). It's 95% whole wheat flour and 5% rice flour.

And, yes, it's beige...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/denverdeath/Flour03.jpg

...at least it's probably healthier than most of the stuff you can buy.

[UknowsI]

You can find dark bread in Daejeon, but it might end up being too dark. Sung Sim Dang sell pumpernickel style bread. A brick of bread costs 10.000 won, but it's a lot of calories.

Still haven't found any solution to your problem of finding whole grain wheat, and would highly appreciate some normal whole grain bread. When looking at whole grain flour it would be interesting to look at the dietary fibre content and not just the words used on the labelling.

[airrazr23]

You can also get western brands delivered to Korea through iHerb.com.

http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=whole+grain+flour

The CJ shipping option is pretty inexpensive and usually arrives in about a week (in Seoul, anyway).

If it's your first order, you can get $5 off with code TOK724.

[Dazed and Confused]

About 10 years ago I found real whole wheat flour at a local Nong-hyup Supermarket. I have never found it since. I have to use Bob's Red Mill from Gmarket. The only other solution I've found is going to the Grain Market and having them grind it there. The Korean wheat is ridiculously expensive though. American wheat is expensive as well.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I second the link to iherb.com for ordering grain. I buy a few things of Bob's Red Mill, and the shipping isn't ridiculous. I also order the oat bran hot cereal and add that to my bread for extra fiber and taste. Yum!

[jonathonrempel]