Urbandictionary.com's
definition of granola focuses on the adjectival use of the word and is
not entirely flattering to those who are fond of the now ubiquitous
term for what dictionary.reference.com
describes as "a breakfast food consisting of rolled oats, brown sugar,
nuts, dried fruit, etc., usually served with milk."
As a breakfast food, granola has the advantage of no-prep required (no
cooking, no toasting—even: no nuking), so it's a quick cereal. It is
also popular sprinkled on yogurt and ice cream, eaten while camping,
and nibbled as an after-school snack. Depending on the preparation,
granola can be quite healthy, with plenty of fiber and protein— or
laden with fat and excess sugar, a result of heavy hands with oil and
sweet additives (chocolate chips?). Read the list of ingredients
carefully.
Common use of the word "granola" is relatively recent. Advocates of
healthy diets created mixes of baked grains in the mid-19th century,
and Dr. James Caleb Jackson named his cereal based on graham flour
"granula." Kellogg had to change the name of his granula to "granola"
(the result of a lawsuit by Jackson), but never had much success with
that granola. According to the Kellogg's website, a "fortunately failed
attempt at making granola" (the Kellogg brothers were busy flaking
various grains, and flaked corn, it seems, was a hit but not a good
ingredient in granola) resulted in the successful creation of corn
flakes in 1898. The product name "granola" was at the time not
commercially successful, although Charles W. Post's version of a
healthy cereal was—known today as Grape Nuts. Granola as a concept (a
baked mixture of rolled oats, dried fruits, sweetener) became popular
in the 1960s, and a few of the Coop granola providers have origins as
far back as the '70s. Some of these providers have histories that in
some ways parallel that of Honest Weight Food Co-op—beginning in
private homes as a passionate dream and expanding to full-fledged
businesses, maintaining the original ideals.
Although some granolas do travel a distance to get to the Bulk bins (Golden Temple hails from the Pacific
Northwest), shoppers at the Co-op who are interested in buying local
products will be happy to know that many of the granolas available in
Bulk are produced in the region—and quite often organic. Vermont is the
home state of Back Roads Granola,
which produces a granola made with organic ingredients: rolled oats,
raisins, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower
oil, honey, Vermont maple syrup, shredded coconut, coconut chips,
sesame seeds and vanilla. Quaker Hill
Granola's roots began as energy food for hikers and skiers at a
bed-and-breakfast in New Hampshire and expanded to a thriving granola
business in Vermont. Two flavors are available, and like the granola
from Back Woods Granola, feature a Vermont specialty: Maple Cashew and
Maple Cherry Almond.
New England
Natural Bakers and Bola Granola
are located in Massachusetts. The former started with humble beginnings
in the '70s and is now a company with over 40 employees. Their organic
apple raisin walnut granola is an option for those looking for a
wheat-free, dairy-free breakfast food— sweetened with organic apple
juice concentrate. Bola Granola is a younger granola, introduced in
2008 as an "artisanal" granola with organic grains, 20% almonds, and
pepitas.
Even closer to home are Tierra Farm,
Our Daily Eats, Gatherers Granola, and Temple Sinai. All are in or near the
Capital District. Tierra Farm, in Valatie, specializes in roasting nuts
and seeds and in dried fruits, which are important ingredients for
granola. Co-op shoppers will find roasted nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and
granola from Tierra Farm in the Bulk section. Our Daily Eats also
started with roasting nuts (Spicy Maple Almonds) and after expanding to
other nuts and then seeds, included granola in their repertoire.
Gathers Granola outgrew the space leased from All Good Bakers and is
now in Schenectady, producing granola with names that rodent fans will
appreciate. Chipmunk Choice (almonds, peanut butter, maple syrup) is
76% organic. The Squirrel Bait (pecans, maple syrup, toasted coconut)
is 73% organic. Rabbi Jonathan (Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein) of Temple
Sinai in Saratoga Springs is known for the Slice of Heaven breads
(especially the challah). but also produces Savta's Slice of Heaven
Granola, which is available in the Bulk section of the Co-op. "Savta"
is Hebrew for grandmother.
A healthy percentage of the bins in Bulk is dedicated to the granola
family, and there are many more types of granola than mentioned here.
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