Grains of truth about
GRAINS OTHER THAN WHEAT
Definition
GRAIN:
A member of the grass family
(Gramineae
)
produces a dry
edible
one
-
seeded fruit,
“caryopsis,” commonly c
alled a kernel, grain or berry.
There are eight grains from cereal grass
:
wheat
, corn, rice, oats, ry
e, barley, millet and sorghum.
E
inkorn,
e
mmer,
spelt and k
amut are known as ancient
wheats. All of these grains come from cereal grass,
but some grew wild in earlier civilizations.
Other grains
that are becoming popular,
q
uinoa
(keen
-
wa),
amaranth, flaxseed and
b
uckwheat are
referred to as pseu
do
-
grains or false grains. Most of
these
come from
broad leaf
plants
and therefore
are
not considered a true grain.
History
–
Ancient Grains
EINKORN:
It has been
well documented that
einkorn is
the first grain to have been domesticated,
possibly as early as 12,000 BC. Cultivated einkorn
continued to be a popular crop during the Neolithic and
early Bronze Age (10,000
–
4,000 BC) giving way to
emmer by the mid
-
Bronze Age. Einkorn cultivation
sustai
ned its popularity in isolated regions from the
Bronze Age into the early 20
th
century. At present,
einkorn is still grown in harsh environments and poor
soil in France, Italy, Turkey and Yugoslavia.
Baked goods made with einkorn have a light,
rich taste.
The flour has 50 to
75 percent higher protein
than that of hard red wheats. The gluten strength is
similar to soft wheats, with a low absorption.
EMMER:
The second of the “ancient wheats”
appears to have emerged on the scene about 10,000
BC in Egypt. Emm
er
demonstrates a
strong tolerance
to various climatic conditions. It is quite similar in
characteristics
and flavor of einkorn.
The earliest civilizations initially consumed
emmer as a porridge before bread making was
developed. While emmer flour does
p
roduce a
satisfactory loaf of bread, the quality is
not as good as
bread made with common wheat. It is
suggested to
use half emmer flour and half
bread
flour.
SPELT:
To Germans, it is known as
dinkel, Italians
as
f
arro and Americans as good old spelt.
Whatever
the name, spelt has been around
since
7,000 BC and
of the three “ancient wheats” is the most widely
available in the United States.
Saint Hildegard von Bingen was recorded in
medieval European manuscripts as having often used
spelt as a healing f
ood. Spelt’s popularity is due partly
to its flavor and partly because it has a
great
nutritional
profile. The rich flavor of this wheat is sweet and nutty.
It contains eight of the essential amino acids and is
naturally high in fiber. The chewy texture ma
kes a
satisfying pilaf or hot cereal. It has a high gluten
content and can be substituted for all the wheat flour
called for in a recipe.
KAMUT
(Ka
-
moot)
:
Nicknamed King Tut’s wheat, it
was originally cultivated in the
Fertile Crescent
area
which runs fro
m Egypt to the Tigris
-
Euphrates val
ley.
Kamut is actually a modern
-
day
brand name that has
been registered
by a family in Montana
.
“Kamut
” is an
ancient Egyptian word meaning wheat.
It has a buttery, nutty flavor and
i
s an ancient
relative to modern
-
day
d
urum. It is higher in eight out
of nine minerals and contains 65 percent more amino
acids
than other wheats
. The protein level can be up to
40 percent higher than normal hard red wheat.
This
wheat can be used as whole
-
grain or
ground into flour.
The flour
can be substituted equally
for whole wheat flour.
TRITICALE
(Tri
-
ti
-
cay
-
lee)
:
Technically not an
ancient grain
,
triticale
is
new in agricultural terms,
dating back a mere 200 years.
Although
a true grain, it
is a hybrid grain
crossed between rye and
durum
wheat.
Triticale is higher in protein than other non
-
wheat flours and otherwise nutritionally similar to
wheat. The berries can be precooked and mixed into
dough, fixed as a side dish or ground into flour. While
you can bake bread from the flour, the dou
gh tends to
be weak and should be kneaded gently and only
allowed to rise once. Better yet, combine with wheat
flour to produce
stronger
dough.
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