About Spelt

A super grain in its own right, nothing bad can be said about spelt except the cost. Because it has to be harvested differently than wheat and the yield is so much smaller, the price is high. For wheat-intolerant people, however, it is well worth the cost.

Spelt is a true non-hybrid grain and spelt flour can be easily substituted for wheat flour in baked goods. Spelt contains the eight essential amino acids. The whole grain flour is the perfect answer for those people who want to eat good, tasty whole grain products. Organic, unbleached spelt flour is the same grain with most of the bran (fiber) removed, and nothing added.

Sometimes the original ideas are still the best. The wheel hasn't changed much in thousands of years, and tasty and nutritious spelt, one of the first grains to be grown by early farmers as long ago as 5,000 BC., is finding renewed popularity with American consumers.

Not to be confused with oats or wheat, spelt is a member of the same grain family but is an entirely different species. It is one of the original seven grains mentioned in the Bible. This 9000 year old grain originated in the Fertile Crescent and over the centuries found its way throughout Europe where it remained a very popular grain for hundreds of years.

Spelt's "nutty" flavor has long been popular in Europe, where it is also known as "Farro" (Italy) and "Dinkle" (Germany). In Roman times it was "Farrum", and origins can be traced back to early Mesopotamia. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a ancient and distant cousin to modern wheat (Triticum aestivum). Spelt is one of the oldest of cultivated grains, preceded only by Emmer and Elkorn.

But it's not just good taste that has caught the attention of consumers on this side of the Atlantic. The grain is naturally high in fiber, and contains significantly more protein than wheat. Spelt is also higher in B complex vitamins, and both simple and complex carbohydrates. Another important benefit is that some gluten-sensitive people have been able to include spelt-based foods in their diets.

For more information on food allergies on the Web, perhaps you may find the following resources helpful:
FoodAllergy.org
PurityFoods.com