BREAD AS BREAD WAS MEANT TO BE

Black Rooster Food brings you nutritious and flavorful old-world sourdough rye breads baked by hand in Brooklyn, NY using ancient Latvian recipes. Unlike commercially-produced rye breads, Black Rooster ryes contain no wheat flour and they stay fresh and tasty for weeks. You can order it here and find us in a growing number of shops and restaurants.

“This is powerful stuff that reminds you of why bread is called 'the staff of life.' I am pretty sure you could live on it alone.”

- Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine and NYT restaurant critic.

THE STORY

One hundred percent sourdough rye bread is a staple in and central to Latvian culture, identity, and culinary practice. For over a thousand years Latvians have been baking this bread—using rye flour, rye sourdough starter, a hint of caraway, and little else—in 900°f wood-burning ovens.

On long voyages, Baltic sailors fill the holds of their ships with this bread because it naturally stays good for months. Like rice in many Asian countries, rye bread ( known as rupjmaize in Latvian) is considered holy. It is never wasted. To leave it bottom side up on the counter is considered disrespectful...but if you forget, that's okay, because our bread won't stale quickly. And if it does, you are blessed with the foundation for the classic Baltic beer snack: fried rye bread croutons tossed in garlic butter. (It also makes excellent bread pudding.)

In Scandinavia, especailly Denmark and Sweden, rye bread forms the foundation of their excellent open-faced sandwiches. Unlike many of its Scandinavian, German, and Russian cousins, our Latvian rye bread is absolutely wheat-free and is considered the ne plus ultra of rye breads.

BALTIC RYE

 

Ingredients: Rye flour, rye sourdough, rye malt, caraway seeds, salt, a pinch of yeast, and a touch of sugar (to promote a controlled secondary proof). Each 1/4-inch slice (50 grams) of Black Rooster Baltic Rye provides:

  • 3 grams of protein
  • 4g of fiber (16% RDA)
  • 27g of carbohydrate (9% RDA)
  • 170mg of sodium (7% RDA)
  • 140 calorie

Nutritional studies in Scandinavia revealed that breads made with 100% rye contain more fiber, vitamin E, riboflavin, folacin, and disease fighting antioxidants than wheat based breads. Furthermore, rye bread is much lower on the glycemic index than other conventional grains. Rye bread is also recognized as having anticarcinogenic qualities that are particularly well-suited to reducing the risk of prostrate, breast, and colon cancers.

All of our bread is certified Circle-K kosher. Our Baltic Rye and Baltic Blonde are vegan; the Baltic Fruits and Nuts contains honey and is otherwise vegan.

For decades bread lovers hungering for 100% healthful sourdough rye have had to freight it from Europe at high cost. Now, thanks to Black Rooster Food, you can buy a loaf handmade in America.

    CONTACT & LOCATIONS

    Have questions about Black Rooster Food and our rye bread? Want to recommend your favorite local retailer to us? Send us an email:

    johnmelngailis@blackroosterfood.com

    averyr@blackroosterfood.com

    Use the map below to find a reseller near you, or look below the map for our full list!

    New York

    DC Area

    Massachusetts

    Pennsylvania

    Florida

    Westside Market

    • 2589 Broadway
    New York, NY

    • 2840 Broadway
    New York, NY

    Rodman's Gourmet

    • 5100 Wisconsin Avenue
    Washington, DC

    • 5148 Nicholson Lane
    Kensington, MD

    Formaggio Kitchen

    • 244 Huron Avenue
    Cambridge, MA

    • 268 Shawmut Avenue
    Boston, MA

    Weaver's Way Co-op

    • 8424 Germantown Ave

    Philadelphia, PA

    • 559 Carpenter Ln

    Philadelphia, PA

    • 217 E. Butler Ave

    Ambler, PA

    Sable's Smoked Fish

    1330 3rd Ave

    New York, NY

    Norman's Farm Market

    • Jones Mill Rd at East West Highway

    Chevy Chase, MD

    • 5511 Massachussetts Ave

    Bethesda, MD 20816

    Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe

    • 99 Seaport Boulevard
    Boston, MA

    • 6 Brattle Street
    Cambridge, MA

    Nature's Food Patch 

    1225 Cleveland St

    Clearwater, FL

    Zabar's

    2245 Broadway at 80th Street
    New York, NY

    Kielbasa Factory

    1073 Rockville Pike 

    Rockville, MD

    Baltic Deli & Cafe

    632 Dorchester Avenue
    South Boston, MA

    Maine

    New York, NY

    Pescadeli

    4960 Bethesda Avenue
    Bethesda, MD

    Concord Cheese Shop

    29 Walden St.

    Concord, MA

    Browne Trading Market

    262 Commercial St
    Portland, ME

    Horseradish Market

    839 Broadway
    Brooklyn, NY

    Broad Branch Market

    5608 Broad Branch Road NW
    Washington, DC

    Wasik's - the Cheese Shop

    61 Central Street
    Wellesley, MA

    Park Slope Food Coop

    782 Union St

    Brooklyn, NY

    Wagshal's Market

    4845 Massachussetts Avenue NW
    Washington, DC

    Berkshire Food Co-op

    34 Bridge Street
    Great Barrington, MA

    Schaller & Weber

    1654 2nd Avenue
    New York, NY

    Arrowine & Cheese

    4508 Cherry Hill Rd
    Arlington, VA

    Simply Nova

    754 Metropolitan
    Brooklyn, NY

    Calvert Woodley

    44339 Connecticut Ave NW
    Washington, DC

    Russ and Daughters 

    179 East Houston St.


    Takoma Park Sliver Springs Food Coop

    201 Ethan Allan Ave
    Takoma Park, MD


    Grosvenor Market

    10401 Grosvenor Pl.
    Rockville, MD