Zea is aGreekbread made fromfarro or "zea," as it is known in Greek.[1] The bread is generally chewy and lightweight, with higher dietary fiber content thanwheat bread.[2]
The grain is thought to have anancient, if notprehistoric, history in the region. Excavations have found farro grains at prehistoric sites, including in a 12,000 year oldAnatolian site.[1] Furthermore, classical texts reference a grain called "zea" or "zeia."Homer used the word Greek wordzeidoron (ζείδωρον), which comes from "zea," to mean "life-giving" inthe Iliad. He wrote that unripe zea were fed to horses in theOdyssey.Herodotus wrote that theancient Egyptians preferred zea towheat orbarley inHistories.Dioscorides wrote that Greeks and Romans prepared krimnon, made from ground zea and wheat berries, to make poltos, a porridge-like drink. According to legend,Alexander the Great consumed zea bread to maintain his strength. The medieval harbor atPiraeus, which was named Zea Marina, was potentially named after the grain.[2][1]
Despite its probable popularity in ancient times, zea was most likely replaced by barley in the classical period. Eventually,durum and wheat became the predominant forms of bread. In Greece, there is anurban legend that zea bread was banned in the 1930s, so that the wheat market would not suffer. However, the reality may have been that wheat was easier to produce, so there was little incentive to be a zea farmer.[2] For many years, zea bread was largely neglected. The closest version to zea food culture was farro inItaly.[2]
In recent years, there has been a revival of zea bread in Greece.[1] While some zea farms existed since the twentieth century, most launched in the early twenty-first century.[3] The majority of these farms use the Italian farro seed, known as "Dikokko Sitari" in Greek. However, some farms use the old grain from historic Greece.[2] There are famous bakeries inAthens, which are known for their zea bread.[1] In addition, Greek recipes sometimes call for zea flour as ingredients.[4]
