Are there any brands of crispbreads that are actually edible?

[omotosando]

For breakfast, I had a Wasa Light Rye crispbread. What's not to like? 30 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates (only 4 grams if you are into that "net" carb thing). All well and good, but it tasted like cardboard.

Does anyone actually eat this stuff? Are crispbreads why everyone is so slim and athletic in Scandinavia (although I think Wasa is made in Germany). And more importantly, are there any crispbreads that are actually good?

[omotosando]

Thanks for all these great tips. It appears that my problem with the Wasa was that I made the mistake of going for the least calories and least carbs - the light Rye - which unfortunately often produces a product that doesn't taste good. (Then, of course, that is counterproductive because nothing will drive me back quicker to junk food than eating horrible tasteless"healthy" food ). So lesson leaned - good with a higher caloria/carb count crispbread and get a little better flavor.

[Kagey]

I can't imagine going for a "healthy" or "lite" option crispbread! The original ones only have like 30 calories each, and even if that's 100 percent carbs, it's still not very much!

A good rule of thumb might be that any food that says "healthy" of "light/lite" on the packaging is usually not.

[DanaB]

>>A good rule of thumb might be that any food that says "healthy" of "light/lite" on the packaging is usually not.<<

Or, rather, any food that touts itself as being "healthy or lite" probably *is* low in calories/carbs/fat, but probably tastes so bad or fake, that it's not worth even the reduced calories it contains.

[Passadumkeg]

I think the crux of the matter is that flat bread is not meant to be eaten by itself, but is a carrier for other flavors. Shrimp, mayo & fresh lemon juice, yum!

[greedygirl]

I like Ryvita (pumpkin seed and oat is my favourite), Finncrips and Dr Karg's range of crispbreads, particularly the emmental and pumpkin seed one.

[Honeychan]

I am addicted to Wasa crispbreads! The hearty type, and rye are especially delicious. Peanut butter, jam, maple butter, lemon curd..They are all great on one. Even better? CHEESE! *lol* (cheese makes everything better, but I digress) Some Rosenberg blue cheese is a regular late-night snack these days for me.

I think the taste is good, yes a little boring. It really makes the flavor of what you put upon it even better.

Oddly enough, I pick up Wasa crispbread in Vegas, from 2 reliable places: Smiths grocery sells the kind made in Sweden, and then I was surprised to find it also sold at Big Lots!, but this was made in Germany. Same label, same taste. Half the price!

But, eat it alone? Ummm, I don't think so, it -will- taste like packing peanuts!

[sueatmo]

Instead of crispbread, try Ak-Macs. Very good with sardines, mustard and cherry tomatoes.

[Raedia]

I love Ak-Mak! It's great with hummus, too.

[kobetobiko]

Not sure if you consider this as "crispbreads", but I really like Margaret's Artisan flatbread which is very thin and crispy.

[Uncle Ira]

I think the MultiGrain are much better then any of the other varieties of Wassa. I really love them with just a little butter for breakfast. And they make a great bedtime snack bedtime snack with just a bit of peanut butter.

[gini]

Wasa multi grain for me. The crisp 'n' light taste great and have the consistency of styrofoam, which I actually really like.

[BerkshireTsarina]

Day in, day out, my breakfast is Wasa Sourdough (it isn't sourdough at all, they renamed it several years ago, heaven knows why) with a light film of butter, a thin slice of ham and a thin slice of Swiss cheese. My attempt to recreate German breakfasts? Anyway, it's simple to fix and keeps you going all morning and into early afternoon if need be. I don't think the crispbread is there for taste, it's for crunch, and as a vehicle for whatever you put on it. (Quark and jam is great, if you can ever find quark, or herring w/ (or w/out) boiled egg as Passadumkeg suggests.)

[Passadumkeg]

You know how one side of a Wassa flatbrod, it flat and one has big holes? The WWII generation in Norway called the side w/ the big holes the German side, because during the occupation the Germans impounded the butter and the side w/ the holes held much more butter than the flat side. Can I go on Jeopardy now?

[DanaB]

I like Wasa, but there is no need to buy the "light" version, as the regular is also low in calories (45 per cracker) and tastes much better. I like the multigrain.

[roxlet]

The Wasa multigrain is pretty good. It often sells out first in my supermarket, so I suspect that I might not be the only one to think so!

[Passadumkeg]

What a peanut butter & jelly sandwich is to American school kids brown baggin' it; the multi- grain flat bread w/ the brown Ski Queen geit ost (goat cheese) is to Norwegian kids. They even make special lunch boxes w/ slide out drawers so the flat bread doesn't flip over. Google "smorbrod" and read the myriad of combinations!

[jeni1002]

I second Ryvita (the dark rye is my favorite); I also like the Kavli brand and the round ones that you can get at IKEA.

[chocabot]

I've tried Wasa, Ryvita, the Ikea rectangular ones and they're all more or less the same. The round ones from Ikea taste fine but are really hard. My bf is sensitive about his teeth and won't eat them because of it.

[nofunlatte]

I just bought some of these the other week at IKEA--I love them!

[L_W]

I have been addicted to bran crisp (http://brancrispbread.com/) for a while. It is only 16 calories a slice and it (IMHO) yummy with PB. I have also been know to crumble it with a bit of sugar and soy milk and eat it like cereal. I am thinking it is a "love it or hate it" thing cause I shared some with my parents who thought it was gross....

[JungMann]

I love the stuff, too, but mainly for the crunchy and texture which can be lacking in a low-carb diet. They're the perfect vehicle for more savory toppings for a snack, especially brie.

EDIT: I just tried them per your suggestion crumbled up in milk with sugar. Fantastic!

[Passadumkeg]

Wassa is Swedish and as the name implies, Finncrisp (And I think Ryvita) is Finnish. After living in the Nordic countries, for 10 years, I love flat brod. We often still have tradtional Frukost bord breakfast. My favorite is Wassa seseme W/ geit ost and slices of boiled egg or Finncrisp w/ herring. Think I'll go to the kitchen and have some right now.

[MMRuth]

I like Finncrisp, though I'm neither slim nor athletic! It's quite good with peanut butter or hummus.

[Marge]

I also like Finn Crisp very much.

[Cheese Boy]

Agree. Finn Crisp multigrain -- they are round and taste good.

[mrbozo]

I prefer the Ryvita brand (which I believe is English). They have a tasty muesli version.

[mrbozo]

"Ryvita is a rye-based crispbread manufactured by The Ryvita Company. The company was founded in Birmingham, England in 1930 and is today a subsidiary of Associated British Foods. Ryvita crackers are popular with dieters[citation needed]. Ryvita are holders of a Royal warrant granted by HM the Queen as 'Manufacturers of Crispbreads'.

In 1925 the Ryvita company was established, with a bakery set up in Birmingham two years later, producing one of the first packaged goods in the bakery field. After the war, Poole on the South Coast was selected as a desirable site for production to it being near a port.

In 1949 Garfield Weston bought the Ryvita Company, and began a close personal involvement of the parent company, Associated British Foods (ABF)

A new mill was opened by Field Marshal Lord Montgomery in 1968. The original bakery expanded in 1971 and again in 1974, making the largest single building span in Europe at the time."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryvita

[Kagey]

I like Ryvita too. The original flavor is a bit cardboard-ish, but it stands up really well to strong cheese and pickle. I've recently discovered the sesame flavor. Those are so good I eat them as is, right out of the pack.

[mrbozo]

Heh. Just picked up a pack each of the rye and oat bran and the multi-grain. saw the sesame and was tempted. Next time.