About ten to six thousand years ago many human cultures settled down going from hunting to settled farmers. The introduction of the first cereals emmer and einkorn marked this transition. “Ötzi”, the man from the ice, has been shown to feed on einkorn. Later on in human history, more high-yielding grains as spelt and barley and finally wheat replaced the fine einkorn. However, einkorn remains until today a very digestible and tasty cereal.
The scientific name, i.e., Triticum monococcum, refers to the presence of just one grain per spikelet. The harvest yield of Einkorn is very low. The processing requires more effort than for other wheat species, explaining the higher prices for this valuable grain, but it is worth it! Einkorn is very healthy and contains more protein and important minerals than modern wheats. Also, the characteristic golden color is caused by the high beta-carotene content.
Einkorn has never been hybridized and contains 14 chromosomes compared to the 28 chromosomes of emmer and the 42 of spelt and wheat. This means that this grain is now the same our ancestors used to feed on, and the original structure of Einkorn helps the body digesting the gluten proteins. The flour can be used for bread and pastries, cakes, pancakes and waffles, soups or pasta.
In our farm we harvest only organic einkorn and emmer, and we don’t use any chemicals to grow them. The weed control process is done uniquely by mechanical means, using a special tool after planting, i.e., the “harrow”. Its little “tines” keep the weeds at a minimum level, break the crust, and strengthen the roots of the einkorn.
