Spelt is the true king of ancient grains-with a history of nearly 10,000 years that far exceeds that attributed to khorasan wheat, made famous by the Kamut brand-and is now the star of agroecology, resilience and health. (1)
It was precisely in Italy that the rediscovery of the original cultivars took place, which were in danger of being lost as a result of the selections that took place in recent centuries to make on that basis the most widely used soft wheat today. Insight.
1) Spelt, 10,000 years of history.
Findings at several archaeological sites from the Epipaleolithic period in the Fertile Crescent (FertileCrescent, from present-day Egypt to Turkey to Iran and Saudi Arabia) lead researchers to consider monocot and dicoccus spelt among the earliest cereals cultivated in human history.
The clearest traces date back to 7,500 B.C., in southeastern Turkey today, where spelt cultivation had reached its peak. Cultivation had then gradually declined, starting in the Bronze Age. Until marginally residing, in mountainous areas only (e.g., France, Italy, Morocco, Turkey), for local consumption and fate to feed.
2) The rediscovery of spelt in Italy.
The rediscovery of spelt, as of other ancient grains, is thanks to the few researchers who scoured the countryside, in central and southern Italy, in search of the original populations. Custodian farmers still grow emmer in hilly and mountainous areas (300-1,000 mt) in central Italy (e.g., Tuscany, Umbria, Marche) and northern Italy (e.g., South Tyrol, Valtellina). (2)
Among other things, Italy is one of the few countries where the cultivation of spelt and ancient grains has taken on real economic importance, thanks to the growing attention to both its nutritional and health properties and to agrobiodiversity and agroecology. Spelt is thus used in the production of pastas, breads and flours that are distinguished by distinctive organoleptic properties and nutraceutical functions.
3) The three emmer, botanical classification.
In the genus Triticum, emmer differs from common wheat (soft and hard) in that its caryopses are dressed (‘dressed wheat’), while the ears and rachis are more brittle. Threshing operations and subsequent cleaning thus require some adaptations for this cereal, which is distinguished botanically and genetically into three species:
3.1) T. monococcum .
Monocot spelt(einkorn wheat), or small spelt, is the nutritionally richest of the three species. It is used to produce flours and has a diploid form with seven chromosomes (2n = 2x = 14),
3.2) T. dicoccum .
dicocco spelt(emmer wheat), or ‘conventional’ spelt, is the most widely grown species. Its grain size offers a higher yield for the same number of seeds, and its productivity is higher than the other two species. It has a tetraploid form with seven chromosomes (2n = 4x = 28),
3.3) T. spelta.
Spelt(spelta), or large spelt, is the species most widely used for industrial food processing purposes. Its form is hexaploid, with seven chromosomes (2n = 6x = 42).
4) Spelt, nutritional properties and health benefits
Compared with other grains, spelt has appreciable protein content (with less gluten than wheat), unsaturated fatty acids, minerals (e.g., iron, zinc) and other bioactive substances (e.g., carotenoids, tocols, phenols, phytosterols).
The reduced enzyme activity (β-amylase and lipoxygenase) also helps preserve the shelf-life of products derived from it. In contrast, dietary fibers (arabinoxylans, β-glucans, lignin) and some polyphenols in conjugated form, with associated polyphenol oxidase action, are present in lower amounts.
Several scientific studies (Hidalgo & Brandolini, 2013; Dhanavath & Rao, 2017; Biskup et al., 2017) have characterized the composition of spelt and highlighted a number of human health benefits associated with the consumption of products derived from it (3,4,5).
4.1) Slow starch digestibility and glycemic control.
The slow digestibility of starch and the glycemic index are related parameters that determine the hypoglycemic properties of a food.
Starch isolated from spelt is slowly digestible, and this property could be due to both the complexity of the starch structure and the high amylose content. Such starch is therefore suitable for the formulation of hypoglycemic foods.
Inclusion of T. dicoccum (emmer wheat) flour in the regular diet of diabetic patients for 6 weeks reduced total lipids, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol concentrations by 11%.
4.2) Fatty acid profile and cholesterol control
The lipid profile of T. dicoccum flour, specifically the ratio of PUFAs(polyunsaturated fatty acids) to MUFAs(monounsaturated fatty acids), shows beneficial effects regarding the control of plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels.
4.3) Gluten and reduction of gastrointestinal inflammation.
A spelt diet has been shown to reduce total lipids, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, spelt appears to have the potential to reduce cardiovascular risk factors, although further randomized clinical trials are needed to apply for an appropriate health claim.
Feeding T. dicoccum (dicoccum spelt) is recommended in the diet of wheat-sensitive people, given the lower presence of gluten. As well as in individuals with intestinal inflammation and high cholesterol. Spelt indeed turns out to function as a mild but effective regulator of intestinal functions.
4.4) Reducing sugars
Some varieties of spelt are low in total reducing sugars and low in monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, which are more reactive in producing the process contaminant (genotoxic and carcinogenic) acrylamide during cooking.
4.5) Tocotrienols, polyphenols, carotenoids and antioxidant properties
Polyphenols
, carotenoids, and tocols have antioxidant properties and have been reported to have health benefits in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
The high ratio of tocopherol to tocotrienol (T3/T), in dicoccal spelt (T. dicoccum), is highlighted for its cholesterol-lowering action. Polyphenols then also inhibit the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, thus reducing postprandial glucose levels.
Several nutraceutical properties of spelt are attributed to its content of polyphenols and carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene, which have various health benefits due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. Lutein is reported to contribute favorably to eye and vision health, among other things.
5) Agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health
‘Spelt is an excellent grain with great versatility of use on marginal land. It can be grown in accordance with agroecology, or organic farming, with modest input requirements (e.g., fertilizer) and no need for agrochemicals. Spelt moreover is a very competitive species with major weed species, so that production losses are minimized (albeit, with lower yields than common wheat).
The three species of spelt are essentially for different uses (e.g., flour, soup, industrial use). And the small list of its varieties-compared with that of ‘great-grandson’ common wheat, which is subject to intense genetic selection activities-confirms the ‘rusticity’ of spelt. Which, also for this reason, lends itself well to the organic farming regime’ (Virginia Ruspolini, agronomist and agricultural entrepreneur, farro farmer in Umbria). (6)
6) Italian spelt, the tradition. Monteleone di Spoleto PDO and Garfagnana PGI
In Umbria, near Perugia, in Monteleone di Spoleto, spelt caryopses were found in a 6th-century B.C.E. Etruscan tomb (the ‘chariot tomb’). Cultivation still takes place in mountainous are (700-1000 m), on limestone soils that prevent water stagnation in the wetter seasons. Farro di Monteleone di Spoleto PDO is an emblem of agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health. The PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) covers the local ecotype of the species Triticum dicoccum, whose grain is processed in four ways:
- Whole spelt, with intact brown grains and dry texture,
- Broken whole, stripped of the outer husk (chaff),
- semi-pearl, with a soft texture and a lighter color,
- Spelt semolina, velvety in texture and very light brown in color. (7)
In Tuscany, province of Lucca, more than 50 custodian farmers protect Garfagnana PGI spelt. The three species of emmer are grown under the banner of agroecology and health, in hilly and mountainous areas (300-1,000 m), on soils fertilized with organic substances where the use of herbicides or chemical fertilizers is strictly prohibited. In fact, spelt grown by the traditional technique is registered and certified as an organic product. (8)
6.1) Spelt, other Traditional Food Products in Italy.
The Italian Register of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) also censuses various spelt and products derived from them that characterize the agricultural and gastronomic history of the Regions in Central and Southern Italy:
- Abruzzo. Abruzzo spelt,
- Campania. Sannio dicocco spelt, spelt bread and pasta,
- Emilia-Romagna. Spelt Triticum dicoccum,
- Latium. Spelt, Monti Lucretili spelt, Acquapendente goad spelt,
- Brands. Spelt Triticum dicoccum, spelt castor,
- Molise. Molise dicocco spelt,
- Tuscany. Garfagnana spelt cake, spelt cake.
7) Technological properties
Spelt, or large spelt, is used for the industrial production of various products that stand out in halo marketing under the agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health profiles. Pasta, bread, cookies, and baked goods as well as beer. Therefore, research accompanies tradition in identifying the technological properties-endosperm microstructure, physical properties, thermal properties and specific energy of grinding-that are appreciable in view of processing. A very recent study (Warechowska et al., 2023) offers some useful insights in this regard.
Spelt cultivars are distinguished mainly, as well as wheat, into durum and soft. The suitability of each for the production of some foods, rather than others, is assessed in relation to factors such as grain size and grinding levels. With regard to water absorption necessary to promote dough viscosity and fermentation its through yeasts. High gelatinization temperature, in turn, is relevant to the production process such as in cooking products (e.g., pasta) and their digestibility. (10)
8) Conclusion and outlook
Agroecology and health find in spelt an ideal liaison that links the Mediterranean’s oldest cereal tradition and the Mediterranean diet-with its countless benefits-to the Sustainable Development Goals in UN Agenda 2030. Farri’s botanical attributes moreover allow it to be grown organically, with frugal inputs into agriculture.
Andrea Adelmo Della Penna and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Cooper R. (2015). Re-discovering anciet wheat varieties as functional foods. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 5:138-143, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2015.02.004
(2) Zaharieva & Monneveux (2014). Cultivated einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum L. subsp. monococcum): the long life of a founder crop of agriculture. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 61:677-706, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-014-0084-7
(3) Hidalgo & Brandolini (2013). Nutritional properties of einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum L.). J. Sci. Food Agric. 94: 601-612, https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6382
(4) Dhanavath & Rao (2017). Nutritional and Nutraceutical Properties of Triticum dicoccum Wheat and Its Health Benefits: An Overview. Journal of Food Science 82(10):2243-2250, https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.13844
(5) Biskup et al. (2017). The potential role of selected bioactive compounds from spelt and common wheat in glycemic control. Adv. Clin. Exp. Med. 26(6):1013–1019, https://doi.org/10.17219/acem/61665
(6) The list of plant varieties is available at https://www.sian.it/mivmPubb/autenticazione.do, the list of varieties allowed in organic farming at https://www.sian.it/conSpeBio/index.xhtml
(7) Farro della Garfagnana IGP, product specification https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/2%252Fb%252F3%252FD.868f862798f5b978962c/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3343/E/pdf?mode=download
(8) Monteleone di Spoleto D.O.P. spelt, production specification https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F7%252F6%252FD.9f7260f960607e310403/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3343/E/pdf?mode=download
(9) National List of Traditional Food Products, 22nd Revision (2022). https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F5%252F8%252FD.f85e9e7414e48e0c2722/P/BLOB%3AID%3D17979/E/pdf?mode=download
(10) Warechowska et al. (2023). The endosperm microstructure, physical, thermal properties and specific milling energy of spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) grain and flour. Scientific Reports 13:3629, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30285-9
Graduated in Food Technologies and Biotechnologies, qualified food technologist, he follows the research and development area. With particular regard to European research projects (in Horizon 2020, PRIMA) where the FARE division of WIISE Srl, a benefit company, participates.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
