Mr. Green and his wife were as different from their surroundings in the “Bible-belt of the South” as whole wheat bread is different from white bread. They were Polish Jews, with an accent that was thick and warm. There they stood in their old fashioned, “not-so-thriving bakery,” amidst a society of “white biscuits and sausage gravy.” The difficult circumstances of their lives during WWII had caused them to flee from their homeland to this strange new country of America for safety. It had been thirty hard years learning to make a living as an “old-world baker in a new world.” But we believe these precious people arrived in the hills of Tennessee for a very great purpose.
So, as the story goes, we happened into their little bakery one sunny afternoon just before we opened our first Yellow Deli in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We were met with a suspicious greeting from the timid couple who had obviously suffered much hardship. It was not easy for them to let down their guard, but somehow, some way, a bond was formed that became a strong, loyal, and enduring friendship. Mr. Green began to teach us about good bread and we knew this was just what our Yellow Deli needed. Thus, together we were able to serve the best sandwich anybody in that part of the country had ever tasted.
The bakery of old Mr. Green became very busy after that, providing all the bread for our newly opened and very busy Yellow Deli in 1973. Within the next five years we had opened six more delis in surrounding areas, all using Mr. Green’s special bread.
Sadly, the Greens did not have many more years to live after that. But Mr. Green was able to take the time in his busy baking schedule to pass on to us his ancient bread-making skills which he had carefully guarded for many years. These two genuine people will always be remembered and honored at the Yellow Deli.
Since our beginning in 1973 we have learned and increased in our skills. Thus, our bread has become better.
Unfortunately the precious wheat for our bread has not done so well since those early days when we started baking… undergoing a great modification, changing from its original God-given wholesome qualities. Those beautiful golden wheat fields are no longer what they appear. Something called “genetic modification” has taken place. Science has figured out how to change living things on the “genetic level” to make it bigger, prettier, more productive, more insect repellent, more weed resistant… but much LESS HEATHY.
So, just saying “whole wheat” does not necessarily mean it is good for you anymore. Many times you will see “non-gmo” really big on the front of products, warning the buyer that there is danger to things that are gmo (genetically modified organisms).
So we have set ourselves to get back to the Way it was originally. We want whole wheat the way God intended!
So, we try to make our breads as “whole” as possible. We have searched for good sources for non-genetically modified wheat. But we finally decided the safest way would be to “grow our own.” So our farms in Virginia and Missouri have had a successful wheat harvest this year for the first time… and we are so thankful.
We Love Gluten!
And, as surprising as it may seem, we even like “gluten” around here, for gluten is the stuff that holds the loaf together. And to us it seems that the “poor gluten” seems to be blamed for all sorts of evils these days. True, the genetic tampering that is going on today in modern food laboratories has wounded this incredible substance called “gluten,” causing problems with human digestion. But still, in its original state, the way it was created to be, it is an important and essential part of the story of bread. So you will not find much “gluten free” advertising at the deli, because for us that “stick together quality” of the gluten in bread is more than just a “bread story.” For us, it is a parable that represents “our life story.” For us, gluten is like the love in our community that holds our “communal loaf” together. And we are sure that in the olden days, when wheat was right, gluten was not something to be avoided. Aside from our own farm, we found a source for our deli bread flour at a family business in Montana, Wheat Montana. Their wheat is very good and verified to be non-gmo. We use good ingredients in our breads so you can rest assured. We are even able to get spelt (which is the ancient wheat) for some of our breads, which naturally has a little less gluten than the newer wheat, for those sensitive to gluten. Try spelt bread before you discard all gluten from your diet.
Our bakery is old fashioned, with a wood-fired oven for our specialty breads. Our bakers rise before dawn to bake our bread fresh every morning. Come in early and watch the fresh bread go onto the shelves. Like everything else in our wonderful life, we want people to know the whole story of each loaf of bread! Ask the bakers what we are learning about the ancient grain flour. This flour will not cause the health problems of GMO flour.