July 31st, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

We’ve been munching on some new creations from Dr. Kracker, an artisan cracker company that uses whole grains, seeds and healthy oils.

Dr. Kracker’s new Culinary Crisps come in some intense flavors – Hummus Maximus, Fire Roasted Crisps, Apple Crisps and Cherry Semolina. They work wonderfully with hummus, tahini, bean, veggie and cream cheese dips, as well as hard and soft cheeses; dipped in olive oil; topped with cucumbers, apples or avocado. You get the idea. You’ll run out of crackers long before you run out of concoctions.

These new crisps are notable for their unique flavors and their crunch, and their story is a good example of how American food is turning a corner, getting back to earthier, truly healthier snacks.

Unlike those rows of crackers that cram grocery aisles, these crisps are not shy about making your mouth do a little work and tossing some super food seeds into the mix. Dr. Kracker says its trademark “uber crunch” has been honed using yeast-raised dough and special baking techniques. Crunch aficionados (and you know who you are) will find these new flavors to be a great treat.

For the uninitiated (people whose last cracker was, say, a saltine), these new “crisps” may be the perfect “gateway” cracker, providing entree into a world of organic seeds, whole flours and premium fruits with a crunch that requires some molar-power, but still snaps easily, like a baked cookie.

Company founder George Eckrich, whose family pioneered the well-known sausage label, trained in bakeries in Europe, becoming a fan of hearty breads and whole grains about the same time America was drifting away from them. That was in the 1970s, when white-flour snack products that seemed like a good idea then because we hadn’t yet glimpsed how this expansion would play out on our waists.

Back then the concept of artisan, European-style baking had a foothold here, which Eckrich parlayed into bakeries in Austin, Dallas and Houston. He sold his first company to Austin-based Whole Foods Market and oversaw their bakeries, training bakers and developing recipes in the 1980s and 1990s. He left to start Dr. Kracker in 2004.

Eckrich’s history gave him both a sense of the market and the culinary expertise to fill what he saw as a crack in the cracker market. The company began producing flatbreads that offered a high fiber, more nutritional alternative to existing brands. It branched out into snack crackers, adding flavors and premium seeds like flax and pumpkin that weren’t readily available in mainstream offerings. Next came Dr. Kracker’s organic Snackers crackers and then Culinary Crisps.

Eckrich says the new crackers have some “complex” flavor combinations aimed to fulfill a new perceived need in the market — for healthy fare, yes, but with zip and sophistication. He expects the Fire Roasted crisps could make a successful outing at a football party: “It answers things consumers have been asking for, a little bit of heat, that chili flavor, that crunchy crust that happens in the oven.”

We were more than happy slapping cheddar and spinach dip atop our Fire Roasted crisps; we loved hummus with red peppers and pine nuts on the Hummus Maximus crackers, though we know we won’t win any imagination awards for this discovery.  Another combo we “created,” Apple Crisps with pineapple cream cheese, made star appearances at dinner and lunch. The combos were endless.

Eckrich hopes people don’t buy them just to “be healthy” because he wants them prized for their tastes and as a true foodie, he doesn’t like to see the dining experience diminished and medicalized.

But just so you know….while savoring these slightly sweet and savory treats, you can rest assured that you’re actually eating something good for you. Dr. Kracker crackers are made with organic whole grain flours and a phalanx of naturally nutritious ingredients, like garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, coriander seeds, dried fruits and olive oil. They include flavors and spices you don’t find on your typical butter or water cracker, such as Garam Masala (in the Hummus Maximus) and fennel powder (Cherry Semolina). They are sweetened, when they’re sweetened, with cane sugar or molasses.

They are packed with protein and fiber. Seeded Spelt, Eckrich’s personal favorite, has 5 grams of protein per single serving. (BTW, his mom, who’s in her 80s, likes the Classic 3 Seed with 5 grams protein and 3 grams of fiber.)

All of Dr. Kracker’s products are preserved with natural ingredients and most use organic ingredients. You’ll find them to be generally higher in iron and Omega 3 oils than competitor’s crackers.

Dr. Kracker, based in Dallas, makes nine flavors of crackers, crisps and flat breads.

The bakery is certified organic by the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Krackers are available in a variety of health food stores, grocery chains, such as Sprouts and Whole Foods Market, and online. The Culinary Crisps retail for $4.99 for a 6 ounce package.

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