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[1] The humble loaf of rye bread has found new fame in New York. Here, people have been queuing in the SoHo neighbourhood to pay US$60 (HK$470) for a loaf of Austrian sourdough.
[2] The loaves weigh about 1.5 kilograms each and are baked in a two-tonne oven imported from Germany. “The bread is going down really well,” Tim Auer said. He is the son of Martin Auer, the founder of the shop Rye.
[3] The family from Graz runs a third-generation family business in Austria with 45 branches. “We thought: The one thing we are really exceptionally good at – that’s what we’ll bring to New York,” Auer said. A slice of the bread can be purchased with fish eggs, chocolate spread or chives and butter.
[4] The shop has attracted attention because of its price. Its September opening was met with backlash on Instagram. Auer said he understood the “outrage” over the price. “Most of the people who said that were not in New York,” he said. In New York, he explained, there was no negative feedback. “This is one of the most expensive cities in the world, one of the most expensive streets in this most expensive city. They should take a look at what an apartment costs here.”
[5] All the raw ingredients for the bread are imported, Auer added. Even the counter was made from a tree sourced in the Styria region of Austria. The bread is not cheap even by New York standards. An ordinary loaf in the city of millions costs on average just a few dollars. Artisanal sourdough bread is available in many bakeries for under US$20.
[6] Hearty rye bread is an everyday staple in Austria and Germany, but is far less common in the United States. New York has been experiencing a boom in artisanal bakeries and sourdough breads for years.
Source: dpa, September 16
