Terroir

A French word for the way place shapes flavor: soil, climate, weather, and farming practices. It's borrowed from wine, and bakers use it for grain too, since the same wheat variety can taste and perform differently depending on where and in what year it was grown. You'll notice it most with fresh-milled, whole grain, and identity-preserved flours.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• If you want to taste terroir, bake the same simple recipe with two whole wheat flours from different farms side by side. Keep everything else the same.