How Do You Pronounce M’smen?

by Hot Bread Kitchen

Hot Bread Kitchen is a social enterprise nonprofit based in East Harlem, that trains low income women in the craft of artisan bread baking in order to help them get good jobs in the culinary industry. Sales of our authentic multi-ethnic breads (inspired by the women we train) help cover the cost of the women’s paid training and classroom education.

Our relationship with GrowNYC has supported Hot Bread Kitchen’s growth. When founder Jessamyn Rodriguez launched Hot Bread Kitchen out of her home, she sold bread in local community markets and in 2010, secured a coveted spot on Wednesdays at Union Square. We now have a presence in up to 13 NYC Greenmarkets, depending on the season.

One of our most popular items, Moroccan m’smen, is based on a recipe introduced by one of the Moroccan women in our training program. On a snowy night before its market debut, the bakers mixed 600 pieces. They couldn’t believe there would be such a demand for a bread they’d grown up eating but never seen sold in New York. The next day, long lines formed for the novel flatbread and they sold out by 1 p.m.

We now make the traditional version as well as a Greenmarket exclusive, stuffed with locally grown kale, cheddar and onion. Buttery, flaky, and delicious, this customer favorite (it’s one of our bestselling breads) only has one problem: people can’t seem to figure out how to pronounce it. We created this video to show you how!

Want to learn more about GrowNYC and our $40 for 40 campaign? Visit http://www.grownyc.org/blog/greenmarket-40-40.