| San Francisco Bread Review | Great Harvest Spinach Feta bread |
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| Summary | |
| Appearance : | Not great |
| Taste : | Very good |
| Overall grade : | A- |
| Pictures | |
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| The bread | |
| Click on the photo for larger view | |
| Bread name | Spinach Feta bread |
| Baker | Great Harvest Bread Co., Oakland |
| Purchased | Wednesday, May 28, 2003, 9:00AM |
| From | Great Harvest Bread Co., 5800 College Avenue, Oakland |
| Tested | Wednesday, May 28, 2003, 7:30PM |
| Price | $5.25 |
| Weight | 25 oz. |
| Size (LxWxH) | 7" x 7" x 3.5" |
Appearance
This bread comes in a transparent plastic bag, with a label generic to all the specialty breads that Great Harvest does. This is one of many specialty breads that G.H. does, and they are typically available only once a week, sometimes even less frequently. I have to admit, this is not a very good-looking loaf. It's rather lumpy, especially the bottom which looks like it has collapsed a bit. The top is wrinkled. The color is OK. Lots of spinach visible, and grains too. The loaf feels very dense, very soft, although the bread springs back well when squeezed. The outside smell is quite strong, spinach mostly, with whole wheat in the background. No detectable feta, but then again I may not be looking for the right thing. The cut is reasonably easy, but the loaf is quite soft, so you need a sharp knife if you want to make good-looking slices. The crumb is fairly dark, with lots of spinach visible, and many feta bits. The bottom is noticeably denser. The inside smell is mostly bread, not so much spinach, with perhaps a little bit of feta.
Taste
The taste is rich and interesting -- this is not a bland bread. The feta is a bit sour, and I think I detect quite a few herbs and spices. Good texture, good clean aftertaste.
Conclusion
You have to love herbs and feta to like this bread, but if you do, this is the bread for you. I applaud Great Harvest for not skimping on the spinach and the feta -- you get the full measure, not just a sprinkling. I give this bread a small nudge upwards for the ingredients and novelty.