Poulsbo Bread is the name of a proprietary variety of multigrain bread that originated in Poulsbo, Washington, United States, in the 1970s, and which was distributed internationally until the 2000s. The creation of the bread was inspired by a Bible passage. As of 2018 it is sold only at a single retail location in Poulsbo.
| Type | bread |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Marion Sluys |
| Inception | 1974 |
| Available | yes[a] |
Notes
| |
History
edit
Poulsbo Bread was developed by Marion Sluys, the owner of Sluys' Bakery in Poulsbo, from a biblical recipe.[1] In 1974, after reading a passage in the Book of Ezekiel directing the baking of a specific type of multigrain bread, Sluys claims he decided to attempt to prepare the recipe in his Poulsbo bakery, naming the resulting product Poulsbo Bread.[1][2] The passage in question, Ezekiel 4:9, reads:
Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.[3][4]
According to Sluys' Bakery, the bread was licensed to Franz Family Bakeries in the early 1980s for national and international distribution, with the license terms requiring Ezekiel 4:9 be imprinted on all packaging.[3] In 2011, Franz discontinued mass production of Poulsbo Bread due to lagging demand for the product, however, as of 2018 the bread continues to be hand-mixed at Sluys' Bakery for local sale.[5] Sluys' Bakery produces Poulsbo Bread in three varieties: regular, dark, and raisin.[6]
Reception
editThe bread has been variously described as "famous" and "world famous".[7][8][9] According to Sea Magazine, Poulsbo Bread is the "best-known concoction" of Sluys' Bakery, and few boaters visiting Poulsbo leave the town "without carrying home a loaf or two".[10] In 2008, a student of Libby High School in Libby, Montana, credited his decision to move to Kitsap County and attend Olympic College on an athletic scholarship to his affinity for Poulsbo Bread, saying he regularly purchased the product at his local grocery store and, after reading a description of the town of Poulsbo on the packaging of the bread, thought "it would be a cool place to live".[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Bryan, Saint (March 9, 2018). "Sluys Bakery: Poulsbo's must-see sweet spot". KING-TV. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Cantwell, Brian (November 17, 2016). "$99 Road Trip: Taste Scandinavian heritage, lutefisk tacos in Poulsbo". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ a b "History of Poulsbo Bread". sluyspuolsbobakery.com. Sluys Bakery. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ "Ezekiel 04:9". kingjamesbibleonline.org. King James Bible Online. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Seymour, Rachel Anne (October 27, 2014). "Franz drops its Poulsbo Bread". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Spargo, Sandra (February 15, 1999). "FLOUR POWER: Father and son in Poulsbo are baking a: Family Tradition". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Gardner, James Ross (January 2009). "52 Weekends". Seattle Metropolitan. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Blake, Judith (July 8, 1992). "Poulsbo Palate Pleasers – Gustatory Pleasures Await Visitors To The Picturesque Waterfront Town On The Kitsap Peninsula". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ "Sluys Poulsbo Bakery". A Few Great Bakeries. August 11, 2015. PBS.
- ^ "No Passport Required". Sea Magazine. September 1, 1994. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Nealson, Hope (June 13, 2008). "Wickstrom Follows the Bread Trail". Western News. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
