Spelt (Triticum spelta), also known asdinkel wheat[2] is a species ofwheat. It is arelict crop, eaten inCentral Europe and northern Spain. It is high in protein and may be considered ahealth food.
It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely relatedcommon wheat (T. aestivum), in which case its botanical name is considered to beTriticum aestivum subsp.spelta. It is ahexaploid, most likely a hybrid of wheat andemmer.
Spelt is a species ofTriticum, a large stout grass similar to bread wheat. Its flowering spike is slenderer than that of bread wheat; when ripe, it bends somewhat from the vertical. The spike is roughly four-edged. The axis of the spike is brittle and divided into segments; it shatters into separate segments when fully ripe. Spelt differs from bread wheat in that each seed (acaryopsis, botanically a fruit with its wall fused to the single seed inside) stays fully encapsulated by its husk.[3]
Especially in the context of descriptions of ancient cultures, the English wordspelt has sometimes been used for grains that were notT. spelta, but other species of hulled wheat such asT. dicoccum (emmer) orT. monococcum (einkorn, also known as "little spelt", in Frenchpetit épeautre). This confusion may arise either from mistranslation of words found in other languages that can denote hulled wheat in general (such as Italianfarro, which can denote any of emmer, spelt or einkorn; spelt is sometimes distinguished asfarro grande ('large farro'),[4] emmer asfarro medio ('medium farro'),[4] and einkorn asfarro piccolo ('little farro')[5]), or changing opinions about which actual species of wheat are described in texts written in ancient languages. Thus, the meaning of the ancient Greek wordζειά (zeiá) orζέα is either uncertain or vague, and has been argued to denote einkorn[6] or emmer rather than spelt.[7] Likewise, the ancient Roman grain denoted by the Latin wordfar, although often translated as 'spelt', was in fact emmer.[8] Similarly, references to thecultivation of spelt wheat in Biblical times in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia are incorrect: they result from confusion with emmer wheat.[9]
Like common wheat, spelt is ahexaploid wheat species, which means it has six sets ofchromosomes. It is derived from ahybridisation event between a domesticatedtetraploid wheat such asdurum wheat and another wheat species, increasing the number of sets ofchromosomes.[10] Genetic evidence indicates an initial hybridisation of a domesticated tetraploid wheat and the diploid wild goat-grassAegilops tauschii. It further shows that spelt could have arisen as the result of a second hybridisation, this time ofbread wheat and emmer, giving rise to European spelt.[10][11] The spelt genome continues to influence the breeding of modern hexaploid bread wheat through recent hybridisation.[12]
Spelt most likely originated as ahybrid ofbread wheat andemmer. It continues to influence modern breeds of bread wheat.[12]
Spelt, being closely related to bread wheat, is a likely source ofalleles to increase wheat's genetic diversity, and so improve crop yields. Analysis of the Oberkulmer cultivar of spelt found 40 alleles that could contribute to increased yield. Among the differences were spelt's larger grain size, greater fertility oftillers, and longer fruiting spikes.[13]Pm5 is aneffector-triggered resistance gene forpowdery mildew.[14]
Without and with husks: the husks make spelt suitable for cold climates.[15]
Spelt has been cultivated since approximately 5000BCE. In the fifth millennium BCE, there are archaeological remains in the north of Iraq and inTranscaucasia, north-east of theBlack Sea. Much more evidence comes from Europe.[16] Remains of spelt have been found in Denmark, Germany, and Poland from the later Neolithic (dating from 2500–1700 BCE).[16][17] Evidence of spelt has been found from across central Europe from the Bronze Age. In the south of Germany and Switzerland in the Iron Age (750–15 BCE), it was a major type of wheat, while by 500 BCE, it had in addition become widespread in the south of Britain.[16] There is evidence that spelt cultivation increased inIron Age Britain as damp regions of the country with heavy soils tolerated by spelt were being settled.[18]
In theMiddle Ages, spelt was cultivated in parts of Switzerland,Tyrol, Germany, northern France and the southernLow Countries.[19] Spelt became a major crop in Europe in the 9th century CE, possibly because it is more suitable for storage and beinghusked makes it more adaptable to cold climates.[15]
Spelt was introduced to the United States in the 1890s. In the 20th century, spelt was replaced by bread wheat in almost all areas where it was still grown. Theorganic farming movement revived its popularity somewhat toward the end of the 20th century, as spelt requires lessfertilizer.[20] Since the beginning of the 21st century, spelt has become a common wheat substitute for makingartisanal loaves of bread, pasta, and flakes.[21] By 2014, the grain was popular in the UK, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Shortages were reported although spelt was grown in those countries.[22] In the United States, most spelt is grown inOhio as of 2022.[23][24]
A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving of uncooked spelt provides 1,400 kilojoules (340 kilocalories) offood energy and is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value) ofprotein,dietary fiber, severalB vitamins, and numerousdietary minerals (table). Highest nutrient contents includemanganese (143% DV),phosphorus (57% DV), andniacin (46% DV). Spelt contains about 70% totalcarbohydrates, including 11% as dietary fibre, and is low infat (table).
In Germany and Austria, spelt loaves and rolls (Dinkelbrot) are widely available in bakeries.[30] The unripe spelt grains are dried and eaten asGrünkern ("green grain").[31] In some countries, spelt may be considered ahealth food; for example, in Australia it is grown organically for the health food market.[32] Dutchjenever makers sometimes distil with spelt,[33] whilebeer brewed from spelt exists inBavaria[34] and Belgium.[35]
^abBuerli, Markus (2006)."Farro in Italy"(PDF). The Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 December 2017. Retrieved23 December 2017 – via Bioversity International.
^Xie, Quan; Mayes, Sean; Sparkes, Debbie L. (2015). "Spelt as a Genetic Resource for Yield Component Improvement in Bread Wheat".Crop Science.55 (6):2753–2765.doi:10.2135/cropsci2014.12.0842.ISSN0011-183X.
^abNewfield, Timothy P. (2013). "The Contours, Frequency and Causation of Subsistence Crises in Carolingian Europe (750-950 CE)".Crisis Alimentarian en la Edad Media. Lleida, Spain: Universidad de Lleida. p. 170.
^"French family leads the way in spelt production".Ohio Farm Bureau. 15 November 2022.The first spelt wasn't grown in the United States until the 1890s. And, today, most of the nation's spelt is grown in Ohio...
^Alternative Field Crops Manual. University of Wisconsin. 1990.Most of the nation's spelt acreage is in Ohio. That state grows between 100,000 and 200,000 acres of spelt annually, about 10 times more than any other state.
^Wieser, H. (2001). "Comparative Investigations of Gluten Proteins from Different Wheat Species".European Food Research and Technology.213 (3):183–186.doi:10.1007/s002170100365.S2CID84523520.
