Past the trauma we’d endured during our 2017 supermarket white bread taste test, we’re taking on its darker, heartier cousin: wheat bread, or more formally, whole wheat bread (see our note below).
Whereas white bread is made with white flour, made only with the wheat’s endosperm and processed more thoroughly (thus stripping it of many nutrients), whole wheat bread uses whole wheat flour, which includes all parts of the wheat kernel—bran, germ, and endosperm—for more flavor and a more complete nutritional profile that retains more of its protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and the like. (Some have argued against this claim, but we digress.)
Like many “health”-marketed items, wheat bread can polarize. While some people love it for the added fiber boost (and/or its more rustic, flavorful body), others dislike it for a taste and consistency resembling cardboard. How do the different brands in the supermarket compare?
Note: We were unable to find information on the legal distinctions between the terms “wheat” and “whole wheat” (though in some but not all cases, a distinction is made between “wheat flour” and “whole wheat flour”, the former simply referring to white flour). As they are generally understood to be the same colloquially, we take them to mean the same thing for the purposes of this article.
With that in mind, we narrowed down our selection to include both those labelled as “wheat” or “whole wheat” bread (as well as one labelled “wheaten”, noted below).
All breads were tasted both at room temperature and lightly toasted on the same day of purchase, putting focus on flavor as opposed to nutritional value.
Gardenia
On the coffee-hued end of the spectrum, Gardenia’s comes as roughly half-inch thick slices around the same size as its white bread counterpart. It’s soft, mildly elastic, but sturdy. The bread's surface is specked with a generous amount of wheat for a decidedly coarse, hearty bite. Bordered by a crust that’s a tad firmer and chewier than its interior, the bread is barely sweet and just slightly salty, allowing the deep, nutty taste of wheat to come through beautifully.
Marby
Marby goes for a lighter-hued bread that’s as thick but a tad more stout than Gardenia's. With a softer crust around the edges that you can easily pull off, it veers toward being on the pillowy side with a relatively moist crumb. But it stays sturdy enough for sandwiches and the like.
Flavor-wise, Marby goes for a sweeter profile and is less robust-tasting than Gardenia. Yet it carries a good amount of wheat (albeit more dispersed, with what seems to be less bran) that add nuttiness to the overall mix. Though slightly chemical aftertaste arrives toward the finish, it just about dissipates when the slices are toasted.
