Emmer

Emmer is a hybrid species of wheat. Along with einkorn, it was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. It was widely cultivated in the ancient world, but is now a relict crop in mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. Emmer is one of the three grains called farro in Italy. The edible seeds have been used as food since ancient times. The domesticated types are Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum and Triticum turgidum subsp. durum. The wild plant is called Triticum dicoccoides. The seeds have an awned covering, the sharp spikes helping the seeds to become buried in the ground. The principal difference between the wild and the domestic forms is that the ripened seed head of the wild plant shatters and scatters the seed onto the ground, while in the domesticated emmer, the seed head remains intact, thus making it easier to harvest the grain.

Emmer is a hybrid species of wheat. Along with einkorn, it was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. It was widely cultivated in the ancient world, but is now a relict crop in mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. Emmer is one of the three grains called farro in Italy. The edible seeds have been used as food since ancient times. The domesticated types are Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum and Triticum turgidum subsp. durum. The wild plant is called Triticum dicoccoides. The seeds have an awned covering, the sharp spikes helping the seeds to become buried in the ground. The principal difference between the wild and the domestic forms is that the ripened seed head of the wild plant shatters and scatters the seed onto the ground, while in the domesticated emmer, the seed head remains intact, thus making it easier to harvest the grain.

Uses

Emmer's main use is as food, though it is also used as fodder. Ethnographic evidence from Turkey and other emmer-growing areas suggests that emmer makes good bread (judged by the taste and texture standards of traditional bread); it was widely eaten as bread in ancient Egypt. In Armenian cuisine, emmer pilaf is cooked in sunflower oil. The pre-cooked emmer is fried in oil and then sautéed onions are added. In the second version, boiled water and emmer are added to the sautéed onion and then cooked until tender. In Armenia, emmer porridge with lamb called "kashovi" is widespread in the Shirak region, while lean kashovi is known in all regions of Armenia. Chopped lamb is added to cold water then boiled for 10 minutes, emmer and sautéed onion are added and cooked over a low heat until tender. Emmer is the most common variety of farro grown in Italy, specifically in certain mountain regions of Tuscany and Abruzzo, and can be found in most supermarkets and groceries. It is considered to be of higher quality for cooking than the other two grains and thus is sometimes called "true" farro. The whole grains can be cooked in water until soft and used as a side dish, or added into salads, soups and desserts. Emmer bread ( ) can be found in bakeries in some areas. Emmer has also been used in beer production. Emmer has antihyperglycemic properties and antioxidant activity, which could be useful as part of a diet for type 2 diabetes in its early stages. As with all varieties and hybrids of wheat, emmer is unsuitable for people with gluten-related disorders, despite the popular claim that ancient grains contain less gluten. Hulled Wheats. Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. 4. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Hulled Wheats 21–22 July 1995, Castelvecchio Pascoli, Tuscany, Italy Nesbitt, Mark. 2001. Stallknecht, G.F.; Gilbertson, K.M.; Ranney, J.E. 1996. Alternative Wheat Cereals as Food Grains: Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt, Kamut, and Triticale pp. 156-170. In: J. Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops. ASHS Press, Alexandria, Virginia. First farmers discovered. 28 October 1999. Archaeology at Abu Hureyra. Up-to-date reference to cereals in the Biblical world.

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