Food & Drink/Food Trends

A BREAD AFFAIR, Cheeky Sourdough
1680 Johnston St.
abreadaffair.com

A Bread Affair is deeply rooted in the sustainable, non-GMO, “West Coast values” that make its bread some of the best in Vancouver. A Bread Affair handicrafts its loaves from wheat and grains that are native to British Columbia and use the breads to help celebrate the agricultural past and bring it into the present. The Cheeky Sourdough’s culture dates back to 1986 and was started in California wine country. The flavours of Napa are intertwined with the natural tang from the yeast and express wonderfully in the Cheeky loaf.

THE BENCH BAKEHOUSE, Caramelized Onion Sourdough
1641 Commercial Dr.
thebenchbakehouse.com

The French-inspired bakery in Vancouver’s Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood, better known as the city’s Little Italy, is known for its creative, fermented loaves of chewy sourdough. The Caramelized Onion sourdough is a smash hit and is one of the bakery’s most ordered breads. An iteration of The Bench Bakehouse’s Country Loaf, an 18-hour-fermented white sourdough, this version sports layers of ooey-gooey caramelized onions, giving it an added savoury component. This bread is perfect on its own, toasted with butter or sliced up to make the world’s best grilled cheese.

LIVIO FORNO E VINO, Buckwheat & Oat Sourdough
1399 Commercial Dr.
liviasweets.com

The Buckwheat and Oat Sourdough is not a staple on Livio Forno’s menu, but on the weekends, Vancouverites line up for this nutty and hearty bread. Because of the heavy grains, toasted oats and the natural fermentation process, this bread has a velvety texture and a crispy crust, making it an ideal choice for a stacked sandwich. This rich and dark, textural loaf is an awesome sandwich bread, but because of its roasted buckwheat flavour, it’s also a hit with butter and jam.