▲ Hwang Soon-ok, holder of master craftsman confectionary making

Introducing gluten-free Korean rice bread
If you have a chance, step into the bakery Albi located in Hwajeong-dong, Seo District, Gwangju City, as you will be surprised by watching tens of kinds of breads lining up to enchant your eyes. The bakery’s master craftsman confectionary maker CEO Hwang Soon-ok has developed more than 150 kinds of rice breads and obtained a patent for a rice bread making method. Hwang also is the first woman holder of the master craftsman confectionary making (certificate). “It’s been 20 years I have jumped into this bakery business. I worked here and there during which I grew my idea to make the healthiest breads possible and the result is Albi” says she. But her interest in rice bread started from her university homework of making gluten-free bread; she majored in food and nutrition at Chonnam National University where she obtained both master’s and doctor’s degrees, and succeeded making 100% gluten-free rice bread in 2010. “Gluten is needed to age the bread so I had to pay a considerable amount of time and effort at first. But the result was absolutely rewarding as the bread received an explosive response from consumers.” The bread was first released at NongHyup Hanaro Gwangju in July 2011 and people recognized the quality of the bread made of 7 ingredients including nonglutinous rice, brown rice, sticky rice, barley rice and black rice; those who tasted the bread voiced together “It’s clean, digestive and good for breakfast.” The explosive response eventually encouraged her to launch Albi and you can still see people even from Jeonju and Gwangyang in line to buy the breads. “I feel really rewarded by watching the people in queue and it makes more determined to produce more quality breads. All breads on the store are strictly made and sold on daily basis.” Currently, Hwang is working on development of pumpkin and green tea themed rice breads in cooperation with Gangjin and Boseong counties.