Italian ancient grains, the Timilia of Sicily

The Timilia durum wheat is one of the main protagonists of the rediscovery of ancient grains Italian, meaning the traditional crops sacrificed by the 'Green Revolution', which after World War II revolutionized agriculture through mutations, intensive cultivation, and widespread use of fertilizers aimed at maximizing production.

After nearly becoming extinct, Tumminìa (in Sicilian) has regained popularity thanks to the spread of organic farming and the growing demand for sustainable foods, as well as 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 family of Poaceae (Graminaceae) and to the genus Triticum. Specifically, it is a variety of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum).

The name Timilia is of etymology uncertain, perhaps deriving from Greek or from a dialect term indicating late ripening. ‘Tumminìa’ is the Sicilianized version, used mainly in the Trapani area. It is also known as ‘Granu Marzuolo’ or ‘Triminia’, attesting to a spread that has crossed regional borders, being found with similar names also in Calabria and Basilicata.

A tall and robust plant

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 exceed one meter due to the introduction of dwarfing genes, to prevent lodging (the bending of stems under the weight of the ear).

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

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

The caryopsis (the 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 semolinas.

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 earned it the name ‘farranova’ (new spelt) in some areas.

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

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

Its vegetative cycle is longer compared to modern wheats, 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 night of times. 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 wheats 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 best resistant to drought, diseases, and producing quality flour.

The resilient wheat of poor Sicilian farmers

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

It was the wheat of 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 harshest years.

The decline under the ‘Green Revolution’

The beginning of extinction for Timilia started in the mid-20th century with the advent of the ‘Green Revolution’. The prevailing agricultural model aimed ata spasmodic increase in yields to feed a growing population.

New hybrid ‘dwarf’ or ‘semi-dwarf’ varieties were introduced, created by crossing grains 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, susceptibility to nitrogen fertilization (which would cause lodging) and the long straw inconvenient for modern combine 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 guardian role of elderly farmers

The salvation of Timilia is thanks to those few stubborn farmers who, often in conditions of 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, unknowingly, the living archives of an agro-food treasure.

The pioneers of recovery

Starting from the 1990s, riding the wave of growing ecological awareness and the success of organic farming, a new group of farmers, often young and university-educated, 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 emerged from 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 linked 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 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 perform a potent 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 into the blood and gradual one, avoiding harmful glycemic and insulin spikes for health, especially for diabetics or insulin-resistant subjects.

From the ear to the table

The value of stone milling

The processing is fundamental to preserve the qualities of Timilia. Stone grinding (at low temperatures) is preferable to industrial grinding with steel rollers. The latter, faster and more aggressive, overheats the flour, oxidizing the fatty acids of the germ (causing rancidity) and destroying part of the vitamins and antioxidants.

Stone grinding, slow and gentle, maintains the grain's structure intact, producing a wholemeal flour that is lively and fragrant, with an incomparable aromatic yield.

The Black Bread of Castelvetrano and other traditional specialties

The flagship product is the Black Bread of Castelvetrano (TP). Dark gray 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 rising paste). Baking is done in wood-fired ovens, which give a thick and crunchy crust.

Apart from bread, Timilia is excellent for the production of dried pasta (from bronze drawing for a rough surface that better holds sauces), pizza (provides a fragrant and digestible dough), and traditional sweets such as 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 in 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 entities like the Experimental Consortium Grain Station for Sicily in Caltagirone, which preserves and multiplies pure seeds, is fundamental.

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

Buying the real Timilia

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

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