Since prehistoric times, two main varieties of wheat have been cultivated: durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum), which is mainly processed into pasta, and common wheat (Triticum aestivum vulgare), which is used for most other foods.
Common wheat, also known as bread wheat, is often described as ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ depending on its protein content, as ‘winter’ or ‘spring’ depending on the time of sowing, and as ‘red’ or ‘white’ depending on the color of the grains.
Spelt (Triticum spelta) is an ancient variety of wheat that appears to have been cultivated in the Near East in the pre-Pottery Neolithic period. It was widely cultivated in Western Europe until the 11th century, where it was the main winter cereal, along with barley, and the main cereal consumed by the Gauls and Germans, who used it mainly for bread and beer.
Khorasan wheat (Triticum turgidum turanicum), commercially known as Kamut®, is a cereal that originated in ancient Egypt (now north-eastern Iran). It was imported and cultivated in North America around the middle of the 20th century.
Close to soft wheat, spelt and Khorasan wheat are however considered ancient grains and commonly classified as heirloom or heritage wheats because they have undergone only minimal alterations due to varietal selection over the millennia.
The wheats selected by Farinart come from qualified sources, carefully cultivated to guarantee exceptional purity and optimal nutritional benefits.
• White wheat, soft or hard, is available raw, roasted, sprouted or caramelized and can be offered whole, cracked, flaked and ground coarsely or into flour.
• Red hard wheat is available raw, roasted, sprouted or caramelized and can be offered whole, cracked, flaked and ground coarsely or into flour.
• Bulgur is available sprouted.
• Durum wheat is available raw, roasted or sprouted and can be offered whole, cracked, flaked and ground coarsely or into flour.
• Khorasan (Kamut®) is available raw, roasted or sprouted, can be offered whole, cracked, flaked, semolina and ground into flour.
• Spelt is available raw, roasted or sprouted and can be offered whole, cracked, flaked and ground into flour.
• Emmer, Einkorn and Red fife wheat are varieties that, when available can be raw, roasted or sprouted and offered whole, cracked, flaked and ground into flour.
These different wheat varieties can come from conventional, organic or regenerative agriculture. All our wheats are non-GMO.
Due to its high gluten content (gluten is a protein that gives elasticity and softness to baked goods), wheat is one of the main cereals consumed by humans. Hard wheat, which is rich in gluten, is used for bread making, while soft wheat, with a lower gluten content, is used to produce cake flour for cookies, pastries, waffles, etc.
Spelt has a mild nutty flavor with earthy and tangy notes. It is more concentrated in protein than soft wheat. Spelt flour can therefore be used as a substitute to soft wheat flour in most baking recipes, including pancakes, quick breads, muffins, and cakes.
Khorasan (Kamut®) wheat has a characteristic golden color and a rich, buttery, sweet, fruity, and nutty flavor. Flour made from this variety of wheat has better water absorption capacity than regular bread flour, as well as good elasticity and extensibility. Its use in baking may therefore require adding more water to recipes, resulting in denser products with smaller volumes. Khorasan flour is used as an alternative to whole wheat flour in bread, cookies, tortillas, waffles, scones, muffins, and pancakes.
Whatever its variety, wheat is a cereal that is rich in carbohydrates, fiber and proteins. It also contains essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, sodium, and zinc. Compared to common wheat, spelt is recognized as being richer in selenium, folates, and phytosterols, while Khorasan contains 20-40% more protein and is richer in lipids, amino acids, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and carotenoids (particularly lutein).
All wheats are considered rich in FODMAPs (Fermentable by colonic bacteria Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols).
