Third Culture Bakery

The inspiration behind Third Culture Bakery's signature products was the founders' love of the pastries they grew up with in Indonesia and Taiwan. Chef Sam based the Mochi Muffin recipe on an Indonesian dessert his mother used to make. The bakery's menu features culturally inspired drinks and desserts, including Matcha, a stone-ground green tea powder made from the first and second harvests of sencha green tea leaves from the Uji region in Kyoto, Japan. Third Culture's Matcha has over 130 times the amount of antioxidants that typical green teas or goji berries contain, offering a sense of stillness and calm while providing a small dose of caffeine. In addition to the Mochi Muffin, Third Culture offers Butter Mochi Donuts, which are baked instead of fried to have the lightness of fried dough and the dense chewiness of butter mochi. The bakery uses the same mochiko rice flour and French-style butter in the donuts as in the Mochi Muffin and local dairy milk. All of the glazes used by Third Culture contain fresh fruits or other carefully sourced ingredients. For example, the bakery's signature black sesame donut glaze is made from Japanese black sesame seeds that the bakery stone-mills into a smooth paste. In conclusion, Culture Bakery is a bakery chain founded in 2016 by Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu. The bakery's signature product is the Mochi Muffin, inspired by an Indonesian dessert Chef Sam's mother used to make. Culture Bakery offers a variety of culturally inspired drinks and desserts, including Butter Mochi Donuts and Matcha. The bakery exclusively uses California-grown mochiko rice flour, its house-made blend of coconut milk and pandan, and French-style butter to create its signature products. Third Culture has grown rapidly, with over 60 wholesale locations and a team of over 20 full-time bakers, delivery drivers, retail associates, and managers.