Gluten Be Gone

Judy Malmon grew up in Minneapolis, a place built on the refining of wheat. She’s aware of the Mill City Museum, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the rich and storied history of wheat milling. Yet the paradox of starting a wheat-free bakery and coffee shop—the first in St. Paul—did not strike her. “Well, now that you mention it . . . .”

Malmon has not exactly had much time for reflection since she opened Cooqi, her gluten-free bakery, catering to sufferers of celiac disease and milder forms of gluten sensitivity. Celiac interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. Sufferers cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 1 in 133 people cannot tolerate gluten, though many naively suffer through constant discomfort from eating it.

“I had the naysayers asking, ‘Are there really enough people to support this?’ ” she says. “I did not expect the tidal wave of people who have been waiting for a place they can just stop by for a treat and coffee like everyone else.”

Wheat flour is best suited to baking, Malmon says, because gluten provides structure, texture, and moisture absorbancy. Gluten-free baking blends gluten-free flours (such as rice or soy flour) with vegetable gums. Historically, gluten-free baked goods were a poor substitute, with a sticky texture and odd consistency.

Malmon’s six-year-old daughter is gluten intolerant. “We were lucky to have someone suggest it. Because for some people it takes years to figure out,” Malmon recalls. The life-changing moment for Malmon came when her daughter was at kindergarten and the class had a cupcake snack. “She went to her lunch and got a piece of broccoli to eat. That broke my heart. We have one twenty-seven-year-old customer whose husband ordered his wife the first birthday cake she’d ever had.” 

Malmon believes her baked goods are suitable for anyone. “It’s not crappy stuff that you can’t share with friends. For the wheat sensitive, especially kids, food’s about a lot of ‘no’s.’ We’re trying to put the ‘yes’ back in.” 

Cooqi, 2186 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, 651-645-4433