Spelt

Spelt(Triticum spelta), also known asdinkel wheatis a species ofwheat. It is arelictcrop, eaten inCentral Europeand northern Spain. It is high in protein and may be considered ahealth food.
Spelt was cultivated from theNeolithicperiod onward. It was astaple foodin parts of Europe from theBronze Ageto theMiddle Ages. It is used in baking, and is made intobread,pasta, andbeer.
It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely related speciescommon wheat(T. aestivum), in which case its botanical name is considered to beTriticum aestivumsubsp.spelta. It is ahexaploid, most likely a hybrid of wheat andemmer.
Spelt is a species ofTriticum, a large stout grass similar to bread wheat. Its flowering spike is slenderer than that of bread wheat; when ripe, it bends somewhat from the vertical. The spike is roughly four-edged. The axis of the spike is brittle and divided into segments; it shatters into separate segments when fully ripe. Spelt differs from bread wheat in that each seed (acaryopsis, botanically a fruit with its wall fused to the single seed inside) stays fully encapsulated by its husk.
Especially in the context of descriptions of ancient cultures, the English wordspelthas sometimes been used for grains that were notT. spelta, but other species of hulled wheat such asT. dicoccum(emmerwheat) orT. monococcum(einkorn wheat, also known as "little spelt", in French "petit épeautre"). This confusion may arise either from mistranslation of words found in other languages that can denote hulled wheat in general (such as Italianfarro, which can denote any of emmer, spelt or einkorn; spelt is sometimes distinguished asfarro grande, 'large farro',emmer asfarro medio, ('medium farro'),and einkorn asfarro piccolo, 'little farro'), or changing opinions about which actual species of wheat are described in texts written in ancient languages. Thus, the meaning of the ancient Greek wordζειά([zeiá]) orζέαis either uncertain or vague, and has been argued to denote einkornor emmer rather than spelt.Likewise, the ancient Roman grain denoted by the Latin wordfar, although often translated as 'spelt', was in fact emmer.Similarly, references to thecultivation of spelt wheat in Biblical timesin ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia are incorrect: they result from confusion with emmer wheat.
Like common wheat, spelt is ahexaploidwheat species, which means it has six sets ofchromosomes. It is derived from ahybridisationevent between a domesticatedtetraploidwheat such asdurum wheatand another wheat species, increasing the number of sets ofchromosomes.Genetic evidence indicates an initialhybridisationof a domesticated tetraploid wheat and the diploid wild goat-grassAegilops tauschii. It further shows that spelt could have arisen as the result of a second hybridisation, this time ofbread wheatand emmer wheat, giving rise to European spelt.The spelt genome continues to influence the breeding of modern hexaploid bread wheat through recent hybridisation.
Spelt, being closely related to bread wheat, is a likely source ofallelesto increase wheat's genetic diversity, and so improve crop yields. Analysis of the Oberkulmer cultivar of spelt found 40 alleles that could contribute to increased yield. Among the differences were spelt's larger grain size, greater fertility oftillers, and longer fruiting spikes.Pm5is aneffector-triggered resistancegene forpowdery mildew.
Spelt has been cultivated since approximately 5000BCE. In the fifth millennium BCE, there are archaeological remains in the north of Iraq and inTranscaucasia, north-east of theBlack Sea. Much more evidence comes from  Europe.Remains of spelt have been found in Denmark,  Germany, and Poland from the later Neolithic (dating from 2500–1700 BCE).Evidence of spelt has been found from across central Europe from the Bronze Age. In the south of Germany and Switzerland in the Iron Age (750–15 BCE), it was a major type of wheat, while by 500 BCE, it had in addition become widespread in the south of Britain.There is evidence that spelt cultivation increased inIron Age Britainas damp regions of the country with heavy soils tolerated by spelt were being settled.
In theMiddle Ages, spelt was cultivated in parts of Switzerland,Tyrol, Germany, northern France and the southernLow Countries.Spelt became a major crop in Europe in the 9th century CE, possibly because it is more suitable for storage and beinghuskedmakes it more adaptable to cold climates.
Spelt was introduced to the United States in the 1890s. In the 20th century, spelt was replaced by bread wheat in almost all areas where it was still grown. Theorganic farmingmovement revived its popularity somewhat toward the end of the 20th century, as spelt requires lessfertilizer.Since the beginning of the 21st century, spelt has become a common wheat substitute for makingartisanalloaves of bread, pasta, and flakes.By 2014, the grain was popular in the UK, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Shortages were reported although spelt was grown in those countries.
A100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving of uncooked spelt provides 1,400 kilojoules (340 kilocalories) offood energyand is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value) ofprotein,dietary fiber, severalB vitamins, and numerousdietary minerals(table). Highest nutrient contents includemanganese(143% DV),phosphorus(57% DV), andniacin(46% DV). Spelt contains about 70% totalcarbohydrates, including 11% as dietary fibre, and is low infat(table).
Spelt containsgluten, and is therefore suitable forbaking, but this component makes it unsuitable for people withgluten-related disorders, such asceliac disease.In comparison to hard redwinter wheat, spelt has a more soluble protein matrix characterized by a highergliadin:gluteninratio.
In Germany and Austria, spelt loaves and rolls (dinkelbrot) are widely available in bakeries.The unripe spelt grains are dried and eaten asgrünkern("green grain").In some countries, spelt may be considered ahealth food; for example, in Australia it is grown organically for the health food market.Dutchjenevermakers sometimes distil with spelt,whilebeerbrewed from spelt exists inBavariaand Belgium.