Perhaps the 21st century will become the century of popularization of spelled. Farms of Bashkiria and Dagestan have already begun to plant experimental crops. This healthy natural product will certainly be in demand in dietary and baby food.
Spelled (Triticum spelta) is a cereal crop that differs from the well-known wheat in the red-brown color of the grain, which has unhillable films. The most ancient spelled grains (5 thousand years BC) were found by archaeologists at the foot of Mount Ararat. Unfortunately, with the advent of new, more productive varieties of wheat, spelled was consigned to oblivion. However, in terms of nutritional value and medicinal properties for humans, traditional wheat cannot compete with it.
Starting material for breeding or valuable food
Spelled is rightfully considered the progenitor of modern wheat, because huge areas in Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Palestine, Mesopotamia were sown with it at the dawn of civilization, when agriculture was just in its infancy. Mention about spelled can be found in the Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia, in Homer's Odyssey, in Pushkin's fairy tale “About the priest and his worker Balda”.
Spelled “migrated” to Russia from the Mediterranean in the 5th century BC. and from that time, up to the 18th century, the cultivated area only increased. Although even then durum wheat enjoyed success, being more picky in agricultural technology, but also more productive.
The wild species of spelled (wild two-grain, single-awned and double-awned single-grain, Urartu wheat) laid the foundation for modern varieties. In Russia, the name spelled is often used as spelled. In America it is called "kamut", in Armenia "achar". Sometimes the name "emmer" is mistaken for a separate variety out of ignorance, but it's still the same spelled.
Since the interest of the population in environmentally friendly products has grown significantly, breeders, using semi-wild spelled grains, which are preserved in many crop production institutes, are trying to develop new cultivated varieties. Nutritionists say that coarse spelled grain, the main disadvantage of which is the difficult cleaning of chaff, has an optimal composition of all nutrients for humans.
Spelled Benefits
There is, of course, one more disadvantage - low yield. But it is more than compensated for by the unpretentiousness of the cereal. Spelled ripens faster than wheat and does not require any human intervention. Unless you need to sow and harvest it in time. The introduction of any kind of fertilizer is categorically contraindicated. This event will not only not affect the yield, but even harm.
Spelled stems proudly resist rain and wind, without bending or breaking. And the grain, having reached maturity, does not crumble, while the outside of it reliably protects the film from pests. Few grains are large and of high quality. But they are not the most suitable for baking bread. Until the 19th century, nutritious spelled porridge was famous in Russia, which informed households about its readiness with an unusual nutty aroma.
The value of spelled is its high protein content (more than in a chicken egg), and it contains 18 essential amino acids. Spelled is superior to ordinary wheat in terms of the amount of trace elements and B vitamins. Due to the presence of L-tryptophan, spelled is considered an indispensable product in the fight against chronic diseases, anemia, and tumors. After all, it is precisely his lack that leads to a decrease in immunity and a deterioration in general well-being.
If the low level of spelled gluten is a disadvantage in baking, then it is an advantage for people with gluten allergies. Spelled will also please those who want to lose weight. Its carbohydrates are absorbed slowly, not allowing you to get hungry quickly. The useful grain has already been recognized in many countries, and in Russia the time has come for its revival. After all, Italians actively use spelled to prepare national risotto, Indians prepare garnishes from it for meat and fish, in many European countries it is added to soups, and sweet desserts are made from flour.
