100% Whole Wheat! Be Good to Your Body with Tasty Breads from [Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man] (Itoman)

Moist and chewy! Let me share with you about this healthy bread that I came across which keeps my body in tune.


(Photo Courtesy of Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man)

This bread is 100% whole wheat, crustless, and steamed rather than baked.


100% Whole Wheat, but Moist and Chewy!

(Photo Courtesy of Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man)

Most “with whole wheat” breads that you see in the markets contain about 30% whole wheat, but the bread you’ll find here is 100%! For some people, whole wheat bread may not necessarily be appealing, as some whole wheat bread can be “dry and tasteless,” or “the aroma is too strong,” for the liking of some. But guess what? The bread available at Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man will make you completely change your mind.



The developer of this bread is Chiaki Chaya, who shares how she was inspired to create this recipe: “My mother suffered a stroke and she had dysphagia, a symptom where she had difficulty swallowing. So, I was looking for ingredients that she could eat. I was hoping to find something that she could get sufficient nutrients from her daily meals rather than relying on supplements. It was then that I remembered about whole wheat. I knew that whole wheat was good for you, but now I know more about it.”



“I asked an acquaintance who ran a bread shop and they advised me that a ratio of 70% bread flour and 30% whole wheat was appropriate. But my husband suggested I try making my bread with 100% whole wheat. And so, I gave it a go. When we tasted it, it was better than we expected and my husband and I both agreed that we’d succeeded in our challenge.”



Whole wheat flour is made by grinding the whole grain, including the outer shell or the bran, and it contains little gluten that is required in breadmaking. This is why some people say that making dough with whole wheat is more difficult. On top of that, whole wheat bread tends to have a very dry texture…But, Chaya-san overcame this issue by steaming the bread instead of baking it in the oven. Steaming her whole wheat bread made it moist and chewy, and her mother was able to swallow it without problems.



“What I was aiming for was a type of bread that we could honestly say was delicious. I don’t want to sacrifice great taste just because I want to eat healthy (laughs). That was the most important point for me.”


Many Benefits of Whole Wheat

It is said that about 70% of our body’s immunity is made in our intestines. While Chaya-san prioritized “tastiness” in her breadmaking, breads made with whole wheat have high contents of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber, and eating whole wheat bread daily maintains good intestinal health. Many people report that as a result, they experience positive changes in their bodies, like less constipation, skin irritation, and headaches. Compared to regular white bread, whole wheat bread doesn’t spike blood sugar levels. Chaya-san has tested this herself by measuring her blood sugar levels.



The ingredients used for the “100% Whole Wheat mimi-no nai pan (crustless bread)” include stone-ground whole grain flour from Kyushu, Okinawan whole wheat flour from Shima Mugi Kanasan, grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, salt from Hamahiga Island, brown sugar from Iheya Island, rice oil, and others.



Chaya-san makes her bread without preservatives or additives “because I want people to enjoy bread that is good for the body.” To bring out the flavor, or the umami, preparations begin the day before. The dough is left to rise for 12 hours at a low temperature, then steamed.





The bagels, the Yakuzen Pan with goji berries, dates, and walnuts, and the Gowari Koppe are made with 50% whole grain flour. They were delicious just as they were, but Chaya-san said, “I like to toast them for four minutes.” Of course, I had to try her recommended method, and I was delighted with the crispy bite and the soft and chewy texture.





With each bite, the fragrant aroma of whole grains delights your senses.

The wonderful bread from Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man is available at their shop, their online shop, Urumarche (delivered every Thursday), and at Happy More Market (for several events a month).



The whole wheat bread here offers you both “tasty” and “healthy.” Why don’t you give it a try?


 

Minami-no Shima-no Fukuro-man
Address: #103, 691-1 Shiohira, Itoman City, Okinawa
Telephone: 098-995-2961
Hours: 12:00 to 19:00
Closed: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (also irregularly and for New Year’s and Obon)
https://shop.zenryufun.okinawa    



Okinawa CLIP photo writer, Sachiko Tachi