Emmer wheat, the king of ancient grains. Agroecology, resilience and health

Farro is the true king of ancient grains – with a history of nearly 10,000 years that far exceeds that attributed to wheat khorasan, made famous by the Kamut brand – and today a protagonist of agroecology, resilience and health. (1)

It is precisely in Italy that the rediscovery of the cultivar original ones, which risked being lost following selections made in recent centuries to develop on this basis the most widespread soft wheat today. An in-depth study.

Farro, 10,000 years of history

Findings in various epipaleolithic archaeological sites in the Fertile Crescent (Fertile Crescent, from present-day Egypt to Turkey, and up to Iran and Saudi Arabia) lead researchers to consider einkorn and emmer farro among the first cereals cultivated in human history.

The most evident traces date back to 7,500 B.C., in present-day southeastern Turkey, where farro cultivation had reached its peak. Cultivation then progressively declined starting from the Bronze Age, persisting marginally only in mountainous areas (e.g. France, Italy, Morocco, Turkey), for local consumption and use as fodder.

The rediscovery of spelt in Italy

The rediscovery of spelt, like other ancient grains, it is thanks to the few researchers who have scoured the countryside in Central-Southern Italy, searching for the original populations. Guardian farmers still cultivate spelt in hilly and mountainous areas (300-1,000 m) of Central Italy (e.g. Tuscany, Umbria, Marche) and Northern Italy (e.g. South Tyrol, Valtellina). (2)

Italy is among the few countries where the cultivation of spelt and ancient grains has gained actual economic importance, thanks to growing attention both to its nutritional and health properties, and to agrobiodiversity and agroecology. Spelt is thus used in the production of pasta, bread, and flours distinguished by their peculiar organoleptic properties and nutraceutical functions.

The three spelts, botanical classification

In the genus Triticum, spelt differs from common wheat (soft and hard) because its grains are hulled ('hulled wheat'), while the spikelets and rachis are more fragile. Threshing and subsequent cleaning operations therefore require some adaptations for this cereal, which is botanically and genetically divided into three species:

T. monococcum.

Einkorn wheat (einkorn wheat), or small spelt, is the richest of the three species nutritionally. It is used to produce flours and has a diploid form with seven chromosomes (2n = 2x = 14),

T. dicoccum.

emmer wheat (emmer wheat), or 'conventional' spelt, is the most cultivated species. The size of its grains offers a higher yield per seed and its productivity is higher compared to the other two species. It has a tetraploid form with seven chromosomes (2n = 4x = 28),

T. spelta.

Spelt (spelt), or large spelt, is the species most used for industrial food processing. Its form is hexaploid, with seven chromosomes (2n = 6x = 42).

Spelt, nutritional properties and health benefits

Compared to other cereals, spelt has a appreciable protein content (with lower gluten quantity compared to wheat), unsaturated fatty acids, minerals (e.g. iron, zinc) and other bioactive substances (e.g. carotenoids, tocopherols, phenols, phytosterols).

The reduced activity enzymatic (β-amylase and lipoxygenase) also helps to preserve the shelf-life of the products derived from it. Dietary fibers (arabinoxylans, β-glucans, lignin) and some conjugated polyphenols, with associated polyphenol oxidase action, are instead present in lower quantities.

Several scientific studies (Hidalgo & Brandolini, 2013; Dhanavath & Rao, 2017; Biskup et al., 2017) have characterized the composition of spelt and highlighted a series of health benefits associated with the consumption of products derived from it (3,4,5).

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.

The starch isolated from spelt is slowly digestible and this property could be due both to the complexity of the starch structure and to the high amylose content. This starch is therefore suitable for the formulation of hypoglycemic foods.

The inclusion of the flour of T. dicoccum (emmer spelt) in the regular diet of diabetic patients for 6 weeks reduced total lipids, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol concentrations by 11%.

Fatty acid profile and cholesterol control

The lipid profile of the flour of T. dicoccum, specifically the ratio between PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) And MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), shows beneficial effects regarding the control of plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels.

Gluten and reduction of gastrointestinal inflammations

A diet based on spelt has been shown to be able to reduce total lipids, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol in the blood. Spelt therefore appears potentially capable of reducing cardiovascular risk factors, although further randomized clinical trials are needed to request authorization for the use of a specific health claim.

The diet based on T. dicoccum (emmer wheat) is recommended in the diet of people sensitive to wheat, considering the lower gluten content. Also in individuals with intestinal inflammations and high cholesterol. Spelt indeed acts as a mild but effective regulator of intestinal functions.

Reducing sugars

Some varieties of spelt have a low content of total reducing sugars and a low content of monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, which are more reactive in producing during cooking the process contaminant (genotoxic and carcinogenic) acrylamide.

Tocotrienols, polyphenols, carotenoids and antioxidant properties

Polyphenols, carotenoids and tocols have antioxidant properties and have been reported as beneficial for health in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

The high ratio between tocopherol and tocotrienol (T3/T), in emmer wheat (T. dicoccum), is highlighted for the action hypocholesterolemic. Polyphenols also inhibit the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, thus reducing postprandial glucose level.

Various properties nutraceutical properties of spelt are attributed to the content of polyphenols and carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene, which present various health benefits thanks to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. Lutein is also noted for its favorable contribution to eye health and vision.

Agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health

‘Spelt is an excellent cereal with great versatility of use on marginal lands. It can be cultivated respecting agroecology, or organic farming, with low input requirements (e.g. fertilizers) and without the need for agrochemicals. Furthermore, spelt is a species very competitive with the main weed species, thus minimizing production losses (albeit with yields lower than soft wheat).

The three species of spelt are essentially intended for different uses (e.g. flour, soup, industrial use). And the scant list of its varieties – compared with that of its 'great-nephew' soft wheat, subject to intense genetic selection activity – confirms the ‘rusticity’ of spelt. This also makes it well suited to organic farming systems. (Virginia Ruspolini, agronomist and agricultural entrepreneur, spelt grower in Umbria). (6)

Italian spelt, tradition. Monteleone di Spoleto DOP and Garfagnana IGP

In Umbria, near Perugia, in Monteleone di Spoleto, spelt grains were found in an Etruscan tomb dating back to the 6th century BC (the 'chariot tomb'). The cultivation still takes place in mountain areas (700-1000 m), on calcareous soils that prevent water stagnation during the rainiest seasons. The Monteleone di Spoleto DOP spelt is an emblem of agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health. The DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) regards the local ecotype of the species Triticum dicoccum, whose grain is processed in four ways:

• whole spelt, with whole brown grains and dry consistency,
• whole cracked, deprived of the outer husk (chaff),
• semi-pearled, with a soft consistency and a lighter color,
• spelt semolina, with a velvety consistency and very light brown color. (7)

In Tuscany, province of Lucca, more than 50 custodian farmers protect the Garfagnana I.G.P spelt. The three species of spelt are cultivated 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. The spelt grown with traditional techniques is in fact registered and certified as an organic product. (8)

Farro, other Traditional Agri-food Products in Italy

The Italian registry of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) also records various farros and products derived from them that characterize the agricultural and gastronomic history of the Regions in Central-Southern Italy:

• Abruzzo. Farro of Abruzzo,
• Campania. Dicocco farro of Sannio, farro bread and pasta,
• Emilia-Romagna. Farro Triticum dicoccum,
• Lazio. Farro, farro of the Lucretili Mountains, Farro of the spur of Acquapendente,
• Marche. Farro Triticum dicoccum, chestnut farro,
• Molise. Dicocco farro of Molise,
• Tuscany. Farro cake from Garfagnana, farro cake.

Technological properties

Spelt, or great farro, is used for the industrial production of various products that stand out, in the marketing halo, under the profiles of agrobiodiversity, agroecology and health. Pasta, bread, biscuits and baked goods, but also beer. Research therefore accompanies tradition in identifying technological properties – endosperm microstructure, physical, thermal properties and specific milling energy – appreciable for processing. A very recent study (Warechowska et al., 2023) offers some useful insights in this regard.

The cultivar spelt is mainly distinguished, as well as wheat, into hard and soft. The vocation of each of them to produce some foods rather than others is evaluated in relation to factors such as granulometry and milling levels. With regard to the water absorption necessary to promote the viscosity of the dough and its fermentation through yeasts. The high gelatinization temperature, in turn, is relevant for the production process as in cooking products (e.g., pasta) and theirdigestibility. (10)

Conclusion and perspectives

Agroecology and health find in spelt a link ideal that reconnects the oldest cereal tradition of the Mediterranean and the Mediterranean diet – with its countless benefits – to Sustainable Development Goals in UN Agenda 2030. The botanical attributes of spelt also allow its cultivation under organic farming, with frugal input in 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/Authentication.do, the list of varieties allowed in organic farming on https://www.sian.it/conSpeBio/index.xhtml

(7) Farro della Garfagnana PGI, production 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) Farro di Monteleone di Spoleto PDO, 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 agri-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