Italian ancient grains, the Timilia of Sicily

The hard wheat Timilia is one of the main protagonists of the rediscovery of ancient grains Italian, that is to say the traditional crops sacrificed by the ‘Green Revolution’, which in the post-war period revolutionized agriculture with mutations, intensive cultivation, and heavy use of fertilizers to maximize production.

After nearing extinction, Tumminìa (in Sicilian) has regained popularity, thanks to the spread of organic farming and the growing demand for sustainable food. Also due to renewed interest in its peculiar nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. Its dark color alone tells of its richness in antioxidants.

Taxonomy, morphology and botany of Timilia

Nomenclature

Timilia belongs to the large Poaceae family (Grasses) and to the genus Triticum. Specifically, it is a variety of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum).

The name Timilia is of etymology uncertain, possibly deriving from Greek or a dialect term indicating late maturation. ‘Tumminìa’ is the Sicilianized version, mainly used in the Trapani area. It is also known as ‘Granu Marzuolo’ or ‘Triminia’, evidencing a spread beyond regional borders, with similar names found in Calabria and Basilicata.

A tall and robust plant

The Timilia is a tall variety, which can easily exceed one meter and sixty centimeters in height. A size much larger than modern wheats, which rarely surpass one meter, due to the introduction of dwarfing genes to prevent lodging (the bending of stems under the weight of the ear).

Its strong and flexible straw is instead an adaptation that allows it to better resist the wind.

The ear is awned (with long awns), narrow and tapered. Its most distinctive characteristic is its color: dark purple, almost black, especially in the milky and waxy maturation phases. This pigmentation is due to the accumulation of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants belonging to the polyphenol family, which the plant produces as natural protection against oxidative stress caused by intense solar radiation.

The caryopsis (grain) is small, vitreous and dark amber in color, with a high hardness index. This characteristic makes it ideal for the production of coarse and whole semolina.

The life cycle and the ingenious agronomic choice

Timilia is a spring-summer cycle wheat. Traditionally it was sown late, between March and April, a practice that gives it the name ‘farranova’ (new farro) in some areas.

This agronomic choice is ingenious: by sowing in spring, the plant avoids the peaks of fungal diseases (like rust) that thrive in autumn-winter, and completes its cycle by utilizing the residual moisture from winter rains and spring dews, requiring a minimum water supply or none.

It is, by definition, a low input crop, perfectly adapted to Mediterranean arid farming.

Its vegetative cycle is longer compared to modern wheat, but this slowness is probably one of the factors contributing to theaccumulation of nutrients and aromatic substances.

A millennial journey in the Mediterranean

Hypotheses on origins: between Mesopotamia and Africa

The origins of Timilia are lost in the mists of time. It is believed to be a variety that arrived in Sicily through the intricate trade routes of the Mediterranean.

Some hypotheses link it to durum wheat originating from Mesopotamia, cradle of cereal cultivation, while others suggest a North African origin, brought to Sicily during Phoenician, Carthaginian, or Arab dominations. Its great adaptability to hot and arid climates supports this second thesis.

Its genetic history is the result of millennia of selection by farmers, who preserved and multiplied the seeds of plants that best resisted drought, diseases, and produced quality flour.

The resilient wheat of poor Sicilian farmers

In Sicily, Timilia has found its ideal habitat. For centuries it has been, along with other local varieties like Russello, Perciasacchi, and Bidì, the undisputed protagonist of the agricultural landscapes of the inland and hilly areas.

It was the wheat of the poor farmers, of those who cultivated marginal lands and could not afford irrigation or fertilization. Its resilience it was their life insurance, a guarantee of harvest even in the most barren years.

The decline under the ‘Green Revolution’

The beginning of extinction for Timilia started in the mid-twentieth century with the advent of the 'Green Revolution'. The prevailing agricultural model aimed atspasmodic increase in yields to feed a growing population.

New hybrid 'dwarf' or 'semi-dwarf' varieties were introduced, created by crossing high-yielding wheats with high yield with dwarfing genes. Plants that could be cultivated at very high density and heavily fertilized with nitrates without risking lodging. Their short cycle allowed double harvests.

Timilia, with its height, low yields, the susceptibility to nitrogen fertilization (which would cause lodging) and the long straw inconvenient for modern harvesters, suddenly became obsolete. In a few decades, it was almost completely abandoned. It risked extinction, like thousands of other local varieties worldwide.

The rebirth thanks to organic farming

The role of guardian by elderly farmers

The salvation of Timilia is due to those few stubborn farmers who, often in isolation, continued to cultivate it for personal consumption, attachment to tradition, or because they were aware of the superior quality of the bread produced.

These guardians of biodiversity have preserved the genetic heritage of Timilia in vivo, becoming, unwittingly, the living archives of an agri-food treasure.

The pioneers of recovery

Starting from the 1990s, on the wave of growing ecological awareness and the success of organic farming, a new group of farmers, often young and with a university education, began to seek these forgotten varieties.

They saw in Timilia not a relic of the past, but the key to a sustainable future. Its natural resistance to adversities, its reduced water requirement and its incompatibility with synthetic chemicals made it the perfect candidate for organic and biodynamic farming.

From niche to quality market

Today Timilia has come out of the niche. It has become a high-end, organic product, appreciated by chefs, nutritionists, and demanding consumers.

Its price is higher, due to the costs of low-yield but high value-added production.

A nutritional profile of great interest

Chemical composition: macro and microelements

Comparative chemical analyses between Timilia flours and modern durum wheat flours reveal significant differences:

– proteins. The protein content is generally high, but the crucial difference lies in the quality of these proteins, which seem to make it better tolerated by people with gluten sensitivity (but still toxic for celiacs);

– mineral salts. Whole Timilia semolina is richer in minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and selenium. This is due both to a greater absorption capacity of the plant (possibly related to a deeper and more developed root system), and to the fact that traditional stone milling fully preserves the germ and bran, where these micronutrients are concentrated;

– vitamins. It is a good source of B-group vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6) and vitamin E, powerful fat-soluble antioxidants present in the germ.

– fibers. The high fiber content, especially in the whole version, promotes intestinal transit, modulates the absorption of sugars and fats, and nourishes the intestinal microbiome.

Rich in antioxidants

The dark color of Timilia is a visual indicator of its richness in polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins (such as cyanidin) and phenolic acids (ferulic acid, vanillic acid).

These compounds have a powerful antioxidant activity in humans, counteracting free radicals andlow-grade chronic inflammation, which underlies many modern diseases. Ferulic acid, in particular, is known for its neuroprotective and antitumor effects.

Glycemic index lower than modern wheat

Whole Timilia bread, thanks to its high fiber content and unique food matrix, has been shown to possess a lower glycemic index (GI) compared to modern white wheat bread.

This means it causes a slower release of glucose in the blood and gradual, avoiding harmful glycemic and insulinemic peaks for health, especially for diabetics or insulin-resistant individuals.

From the ear to the table

The value of stone milling

Processing is fundamental to preserving the qualities of Timilia. Stone milling (at low temperatures) is preferable to industrial steel roller milling. The latter, faster and more aggressive, overheats the flour, oxidizing the fatty acids of the germ (which go rancid) and destroying some of the vitamins and antioxidants.

Stone milling, slow and gentle, maintains the intact structure of the grain, producing a wholemeal flour that is lively and aromatic, with an incomparable aromatic yield.

The Black Bread of Castelvetrano and other traditional specialties

The flagship product is the Black Bread of Castelvetrano (TP). Gray-dark in color, with a compact and moist crumb and an intense aroma reminiscent of malt and sourdough. It is made from a dough of only whole Timilia flour, water, sea salt, and sourdough (or natural starter). Baking takes place in wood-fired ovens, which give a thick and crunchy crust.

Besides bread, Timilia is excellent for the production of dry pasta (from bronze-drawing for a rough surface that holds sauces better), pizza (provides a fragrant and digestible dough) and traditional sweets like cookies.

Challenges and prospects

Low yield, high quality

The low yield remains an economic hurdle. However, the success of Timilia represents the victory of quality over quantity, of slowness over frenzy, of ecological complexity over industrial simplification.

The future consists of continuing to communicate the added value of the product to justify its price, building short and transparent supply chains that put the producer and the final consumer in direct contact, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring a fair income for the farmer.

The threat of genetic erosion and ofItalian Sounding

The success of Timilia inevitably attracts imitations. There is a risk that uncertified seeds or genetically impure seeds are sold as Timilia, diluting the original genetic heritage. Therefore, the work of organizations like the Consortial Experimental Grain Station for Sicily in Caltagirone, which preserve and multiply pure seeds, is fundamental.

Moreover, the global market could lead to productions of ‘false Timilia’ outside of Sicily, emptying the bond with the territory of meaning (the so-called Italian Sounding).

Buying the true Timilia

Buyers on the global market will have to keep well in mind the aforementioned risks of counterfeiting.

The expert guide of GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) is an ally for the selection of ‘real’ organic Timilia and products made in Italy with this precious ancient grain from Sicily according to the best processing techniques.

Marta Strinati

Cover: photo courtesy Paolo Caruso 

References

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– Valitutti, F., & Fasano, A. (2019). Breaking down barriers: How understanding celiac disease pathogenesis informed the development of novel treatments. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 64(7), 1748–1758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-019-05646-y