The Sourdough Library in Belgium, established in the town of Sankt-Vith in 2013, emerged as a non-profit initiative aimed at preserving the biological diversity of yeasts and fostering understanding of various natural ferments in the baking industry.
Among its collection of 153 certified preparations from various countries, Chile has recently been added.
This is due to the successful application of three national representatives, whose process was managed and supported by the company Puratos, led by Nicolás Guzmán, responsible for transporting the samples to the Old Continent.
Guzmán, host of the program “El Hacedor de Pan,” certified a Chilean rye sourdough in his establishment, Salvado Pan de Barrio.
It is made from one hundred percent rye, the same used in his bakeries. Its greatest attribute is its incredible growth.
On his part, Hans Lázaro from Sabores del Castillo, presented a preparation of purple wheat from La Araucanía, known for its high content of antioxidants.
We’ve been producing sourdough bread for 17 years, and maintaining it for all this time is not easy. It’s like feeding a baby, every day, for so many years. Our sourdough has very special characteristics: it is made with a wheat variety that is purple, produced in La Araucanía, which is characterized by having a large amount of antioxidants, as much or more than the wine itself.
The third recognized baker, Tadeo Castelvero from La Popular bakery, sent an organic whole wheat sourdough from the Biobío region.
Many bakers associate sourdough work with a technical job done on flour. The big difference with us is that in addition to the technique, we made a selection of a specific raw material, which is this organic wheat to which native microorganisms from southern Chile are also added in sustainability processes.
With this inclusion, Chile becomes the fourth Latin American country represented in this international library, joining Brazil, Peru, and Argentina.
Nicolás Guzmán, recently appointed to the board of Indupan A.G., emphasizes the importance of this achievement for Chilean bakery.
During his trip to France with the “Hacedor de Pan” program to cover the Bakery World Cup, he took the Chilean samples to Belgium, passing through several airports without any problems.
The samples were well received due to their distinctive characteristics, and the museum committed to preserving them and conducting studies to better understand their profiles.
Guzmán highlights Chile’s contribution to the library, enriching its diversity and microbiological knowledge. He considers it highly relevant for Chile to be represented in a globally renowned organization, placing the country on par with global standards in artisanal baking.
This recognition demonstrates the progress and research in Chilean bakery, despite being a small country.
Guzmán concludes that it was an honor to be the bearer of these sourdoughs and highlights Chile’s contribution to international baking, urging to value this achievement in the context of international attention to the country.
