Italian rye, an ancient and healthy cereal

The  Italian rye – an ancient cereal and often considered 'poor', compared to wheat – is regaining attention thanks to its nutritional properties and health benefits health associated with its consumption. With particular reference to the quality and role of fibers such as arabinoxylans e beta-glucans, ingredients for long life.

The history of  Secale cereale also has a dark side, as the contamination of some of its species with a toxic fungus (ergot) was the cause of a serious, often fatal disease. The discovery of its alkaloids – including lysergic acid – also made it possible to produce LSD, as well as some medicines.

The  Italian regional traditions – from Trentino to Lombardy, Piedmont and Calabria, Sicily – obviously also include this cereal. Used to produce numerous varieties of ‘black bread', even better if made with sourdough, as well as gnocchi e Pasta.

An ancient cereal from the Near East

To find its wild ancestor you need to move to  Turkey, where the first traces were found in sites dating back to the  Neolithic. From there, around the 1st millennium BC, the cultivation of this annual grass from the grass family gradually spread throughout Europe and the Alpine arc, often mixed with wheat, from which it is distinguished by its darker-colored stems. Its spread was favored by its resistance to cold and diseases; hindered by contamination from Claviceps purpurea, or ergot, a fungus with a curved shape (hence the name horned rye to indicate the contaminated one) rich in poisonous and psychoactive alkaloids, heat-resistant and therefore still present in the cooked food.

Those who constantly consumed rye contaminated by ergot contracted ergotism (formerly known as ‘Saint Anthony's fire’ or ‘ancestor's sickness’), a severe and often fatal disease characterized by hallucinations, progressive necrosis of the limbs, and mental disorders. Incidentally, in the 20th century the  alkaloids of ergot were exploited in medicine as vasoconstrictors and as stimulants for uterine muscles. The hallucinogenic properties of one of these alkaloids, lysergic acid, were also discovered, which was used to produce LSD.

Long ignored, in recent decades rye has begun to be cultivated again in the form of  new varieties immune to contamination. Not surprisingly, since the 1990s of the 20th century a  ecomuseum dedicated to this cereal: it is located in the beautiful village of  Sant’Anna di Valdieri, in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, Northwest Italy). Besides Piedmont, the crops are found in the mountainous regions of Lombardy and Trentino and even in Calabria (Southwest Italy), in the areas of Sila, Pollino, and Aspromonte, where it can be said that  u jermanu (local name for rye, recognized as a Slow Food presidium) is at home. A recent recovery project also concerns Sicily (Dongo and Caruso, 2019). It is therefore to be hoped that the consumption of this cereal with many benefits may increase.

Nutritional properties

The  Nutritional properties of rye are valuable and its consumption is recommended – as always in the case of cereals – in the form of  whole, to preserve the benefits of dietary fiber, as well as  from organic farming, to avoid ingesting residues of pesticides and herbicides that tend to accumulate on the outer part.

The regular consumption of  fibers, besides inducing satiety, is associated with a lower body mass index and total blood cholesterol level. As well as with a reduction in the risks of serious and chronic diseases – diabetes, tumors, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative – and a greater life expectancy (Reynolds et al., 2019).

The nutritional qualities of rye are characterized in particular by:

• the presence of lysine, an amino acid usually deficient in cereals, antioxidants (including isoflavones and lignans);
• the content of  vitamins of the B group and  minerals (including potassium, phosphorus, selenium, manganese, calcium, iron);
• a  low glycemic index (GI = 55 for whole rye bread with intact grains. Goletzke et al., 2016), thanks to the high content of soluble fiber that slows sugar absorption (see the following paragraph).

Health benefits

Rye contains the same  fibers already recognized by the European Union as having  specific health benefits: arabinoxylans and beta-glucansThe Regulation (EU) 432/12 indeed authorizes the following  health claims:

• ‘The consumption of arabinoxylans as part of a meal contributes to the reduction of the rise in blood glucose after that meal’. This health claim – with the condition of use of at least 8g of fiber rich in arabinoxylans (minimum 60% by weight) per 100g of available carbohydrates;
• i beta-glucans ‘contribute to the maintenance of normal levels of  cholesterol in the blood’ (3g per day) or ‘contribute to the reduction of the rise in glucose in blood after that meal’ (4g per 30g of available carbohydrates).

The  rye flour contains on average 8-12% total arabinoxylans, of which 2.6-4.1% are water-soluble (Hansen et al., 2003), while the beta-glucan content varies between 1-2% (Knudsen & Laerke, 2010). Products derived from it therefore appear beneficial, in general, also from these aspects.

Operators interested in using these  health claim in their commercial information (e.g., labels, advertising) must however face a  legal obstacle of no small importance:

• authorizations for health claim mentioned above are currently limited to only arabinoxylans ‘produced from wheat endosperm’ and beta-glucans ‘from oats and barley’;
• their use on rye-based products must therefore be preceded by a request to modify the conditions of use of the aforementioned  health claim;
• our FARE unit (Food and Agriculture Requirements) is available to operators interested in developing these opportunities.

Italian rye, regional breads

It will not be as fragrant and golden as wheat bread, but rye bread is still worth rediscovering, perhaps starting with the many traditional types; Central and Northern Europe have much to offer, but Italy is no exception. Here are some examples:

• ur-paarl. Originating from South Tyrol, it looks like a flattened '8' and is particularly flavorful thanks to the addition of fennel and cumin seeds;
• brazadèj, or  brazadèl, is a small doughnut produced in Valtellina;
• pane di Coimo (Val Vigezzo, Piedmont), also made with walnuts and raisins;
• pan barbarià. From Cuneo, it also contains wheat and can be prepared with the addition of onions or beets;
• pan ner, from Aosta. It can also contain walnuts, dried figs, and chestnuts.
• pane di Canolo. Produced in Aspromonte (Calabria), recognized as a Slow Food presidium.

Natural leavening

Bread must be prepared with  sourdough starter, or sourdough starter, to guarantee the authentic fragrance of tradition and the associated health benefits.

The long  Natural leavening, without the addition of leavening agents, according to various experimental scientific studies:

• significantly reduces the amounts of alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATI) and FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) in bread;
• facilitates the digestibility and tolerability of bread, even for people with intestinal inflammations and irritable bowel syndrome (Laatikainen et al., 2017)

Bread making

The yield of rye compared to wheat is lower, due to the different  gluten structure: the glutenin molecules cannot form long chains and tend to break easily, thus limiting the ability to retain gas during fermentation.

The dough therefore becomes viscous and sticky, and it is  difficult The  manual processing. However, this obstacle can be overcome by simply adding a small amount of soft or hard wheat flour, or by using a mixer.

Pasta and gnocchi of Italian rye

The  potato gnocchi and rye flour belong to the tradition of Valsusa, in Piedmont. And there is an ongoing recovery in various Italian regions, by some small producers, of the tradition of also producing  Pasta of rye. With the idea of enhancing local cultivation and processing chains of this ancient cereal with excellent nutritional properties, as has been seen.

Toasted and ground rye grains are also used – together with other roasted cereals – to make  coffee substitutes. The use of rye in  grain, dry or in broth, is instead rare. If needed, it must be soaked for a long time before cooking to reduce the concentration of phytic acid, which decreases the absorption of some minerals (Dongo and Della Penna, 2022).

GIFT support for international buyers

GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) assists international buyers in sourcing Italian rye and foods that can be made from it, acting as a reliable bridge with responsible local producers. Through a rigorous  due diligenceGIFT verifies the authenticity of certifications and compliance with the declared cultivation and production methods.

Our organization offers detailed supplier profiles, including production capacities, seasonality, and quality standards, ensuring maximum supply chain transparency. Its quality control programs include on-site inspections, product testing, and monitoring regulatory compliance.

Furthermore, GIFT provides personalized assistance in managing EU regulations and customs support, simplifying access to supplies  premium of traditional Italian rye and its products for operators in the international food and gourmet sectors.

Giuliana Lomazzi and Dario Dongo

References

• Caruso, P., Dongo, D. (2023, May 23). Whole wheat bread and sourdough, the ideal solution. FT (Food Times).
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health. Current consolidated version: 19/08/2024  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32012R0432&qid=1749293463716
• Dongo D., Della Penna A. (2022, December 19). Plant-based alternatives to meat, the nutritional challenges. FT (Food Times).
• Dongo D., Suardi C. (2019, January 25). Fiber and whole grains, long life in health. FT (Food Times).
• Rye Ecomuseum, Sant’Anna di Valdieri (Cuneo).  https://www.ecomuseosegale.it
• Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. (n.d.). Iermana Rye – Ark of Taste. Slow Food Foundation.  https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/arca-del-gusto-slow-food/segale-iermana/
• Goletzke, J., Atkinson, F. S., Ek, K. L., Bell, K., Brand-Miller, J. C., & Buyken, A. E. (2016). Glycaemic and insulin index of four common German breads.  European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(7), 808–811.  https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.9
• Hansen, H. B., Rasmussen, C. V., Knudsen, K. E. B., & Hansen, Å. (2003). Effects of genotype and harvest year on content and composition of dietary fibre in rye (Secale cereale L.) grain.  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 83(1), 76–85.  https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.1284
• Knudsen, K. E. B., & Laerke, H. N. (2010). Rye arabinoxylans: Molecular structure, physicochemical properties and physiological effects in the gastrointestinal tract.  Cereal Chemistry, 87(4), 353–362.  https://doi.org/10.1094/CCHEM-87-4-0353
• Laatikainen, R., Koskenpato, J., Hongisto, S.-M., Loponen, J., Poussa, T., Huang, X., Sontag-Strohm, T., Salmenkari, H., & Korpela, R. (2017). Pilot study: Comparison of sourdough wheat bread and yeast-fermented wheat bread in individuals with wheat sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.  Nutrients, 9(11), 1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111215
• Reynolds, A., Mann, J., Cummings, J., Winter, N., Mete, E., & Te Morenga, L. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet, 393(10170), 434–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9