Spelled: benefits and properties of an ancient cereal

Benefits of spelled, a variety of wheat with interesting nutritional properties in a healthy and balanced diet. Discover its most important virtues.

The Spelled is a cereal grown from about 7,000 years ago, being cultivated both in ancient China and ancient Egypt. In fact, for example in ancient China it was common not only its consumption as food, but it was also used as an ingredient in the manufacture of beer.

In some areas spelled is traditionally known by the names of green wheat or wild wheat, although it is true that today it is originally little known, despite the fact that it is used to make bulgur, a typical food in the East that consists of the cooking the wheat grains on a grill and then split.

What is spelled?

Spelled is actually a less well-known or popular cereal than wheat (Triticum aestivum), although some actually consider it to be a variety of wheat. For this reason it is scientifically known by the name of Triticum spelta.

In fact, we can consider it as a subspecies of wheat, differing mainly not only in its nutritional contribution (much higher in the case of spelled), but also by the characteristics of its shell, which is characterized by being certainly difficult to remove.

Its cultivation dates back more than 7,000 years ago, standing out even for being much older than common wheat, when it was already cultivated in countries such as Iran.

Despite its nutritional richness and great nutritional value, the truth is that with the evolution of the most modern agricultural techniques, spelled stopped being cultivated around the 19th century, falling almost into oblivion, mainly because the harvesters of that time were capable of to harvest common wheat in a single process, and not spelled, making the process more expensive.

Luckily, nowadays spelled cultivation is recovering, especially in mountainous areas of Central Europe, where this cereal stands out precisely for being much more resistant to the harshest climatic conditions. What together with the fact that it does not need pesticides or chemical fertilizers, is a cereal usually used by organic farming.

In fact, thanks to it and to the popularity that natural and organic food has been reaping in recent years, it is for this reason that its cultivation has increased, recovering again.

And what is spelled flour?

As you might imagine, spelled flour is that which is made from the grinding of spelled grains. It stands out for being a fine powder widely used for making bread, since it is a type of flour that provides an aroma as delicious as it is peculiar, and a flavor that is very reminiscent of rustic breads that were made before.

Of course, when it comes to making bread itself, most master bakers advice combining spelled flour with wheat flour, since in this way a better result is achieved.

Nutritional benefits of spelled

The Spelled stands out above all for being a wheat variety ideal for organic farming, which is mainly reflected in most Spelled products that are currently in the market come from agriculture / organic farming.

High nutritional contribution, superior to common wheat

From a nutritional point of view, it is a cereal that is extremely rich in protein (it contains 8 essential amino acids), minerals (such as phosphorus, iron and magnesium) and vitamins (especially vitamins of group B, vitamin E and beta-carotene).

In addition, we must bear in mind that it stands out for being one of the oldest cereals, which has not undergone as many genetic modifications, as for example it has happened with common wheat. Therefore, it has kept many of its original features and elements.

Higher protein content

While common wheat provides around 10% protein, spelled stands out for providing a much higher amount (around 15% approximately). In addition, these proteins contain essential amino acids, among which the presence of lysine stands out.

Interesting contribution in fiber

It also stands out for its high fiber content, which makes us a suitable cereal in case of constipation. Thanks to this nutritional benefit, it also becomes an ideal cereal for weight loss diets.

What’s more, the fiber in spelled is mostly soluble, which means that it helps delay the absorption of carbohydrates, making it ideal for people with diabetes.

More contribution in vitamins and minerals

And, as it could not be less, compared to common wheat, spelled also stands out for its greater contribution in minerals. For example, the presence of magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorus stands out above all.

While, among the vitamins, the presence of vitamins of group B (especially B12) stands out, in addition to vitamin E and A.

Spelled Nutritional Information

Can people with celiac eat spelled?

We must bear in mind that spelled, like common wheat, contains gluten. This means that people with celiac disease (that is, gluten intolerant) cannot consume spelled.