You know quinoa from the superfood salad, puffed amaranth as a delicious bowl topping and do you regularly mix spelled flakes into your porridge? Then there are already some original (pseudo) grains on your menu.
- What is ancient grain
- varieties of ancient grains
- Is ancient grain healthier than other grains?
- How can I integrate ancient grains into my diet?
Ancient grain not only provides more variety on the plate or in the bowl, but is also packed with important nutrients and minerals. The forgotten grains are not only suitable for your muesli, but also for cooking and baking. Reason enough to give your taste buds a taste of the ancient grains!
What is ancient grain?
Ancient grain is the umbrella term for various types of grain that were cultivated by our ancestors thousands of years ago. Like wheat, which is widespread today, they belong to the sweet grass family. However, there is no binding definition as to the age from which a type of grain can be called an ancient grain or whether pseudocereals should be included in the list of ancient grains or not.
What is the difference between ancient grain and other types of grain?
Emmer, einkorn, spelt, etc. have a particularly strong husk coating. This cover protects the grain from environmental influences and makes it resilient. Ancient grain can even thrive on nutrient-poor soils and hardly requires any fertilizers or chemical pesticides. This makes the ancient types of grain ideal for organic cultivation.
However, the husk requires an additional step in processing. This shell must be removed before the grain is further processed into flour or flakes.
Does pseudocereal count as ancient grain?
You can conjure up delicious dishes such as porridge, bread or risotto from quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth. They are similar to classic types of grain in the way they are prepared, but belong to a completely different plant family and are therefore referred to as pseudo-cereals. Some species deserve a place in our list not only because of their nutritional content (plenty of protein, lots of fiber). Quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat also have a long history as delicious and healthy foods.
History of the Ancient Grains
The first finds of the ancient grain date back to around 8,200 BC. BC. In the Near East, people mainly grew emmer and einkorn. From there, the forerunners of today's grain varieties spread to many parts of Europe.
However, because ancient grains produce less than wheat or rye, emmer, einkorn and the like lost their importance from the Middle Ages onwards.
In recent years, organic farmers have rediscovered the benefits of these ancient grains. Consumers have also appreciated the rediscovered ancient grain since the organic boom of the 1970s in the form of wholemeal flour or bread, grains and flakes.
What ancient grain varieties are there?
This table gives you an overview of the most popular ancient grain varieties, their origin, their most important properties and tips for use.
| (Pseudo-)cereal type | Origin | Characteristics | Taste + Use |
| Einkorn | predominant in the Bronze Age, later replaced by spelt | high content of carotenoids and lutein | slightly nutty |
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Emmer (also called spelt) |
Predominant in the 10th century, first cultivated type of grain |
good source of potassium, calcium and vitamin E |
very intense, slightly spicy, also suitable for stews or patties |
| spelt | already cultivated in Ancient Egypt and by the Celts | good source of protein and zinc | Good substitute for wheat or rye for all kinds of baked products |
| millet | includes several different genres | gluten-free, rich in protein, lysine and essential fatty acids | as flakes for flour or cooked grains as porridge, popular substitute for rice, do not eat raw! |
| green spelt | discovered in the 17th century as unripe spelled | longer lasting | Spicy and aromatic, good for additions to stews or as patties |
| Khorasan or Kamut (only in organic quality!) | over 6,000 years old, probably comes from Central Asia | very rich in magnesium (up to 30% more than other whole grain products), as well as zinc, selenium and phosphorus | slightly nutty, often added to ancient grain breads |
| barley | Along with emmer, one of the oldest grains, widespread in Europe in the 10th century | rich in carbohydrates, iron and beta-glucan | as an ingredient for soups, stews or as flakes, for beer production, as feed for animals |
| buckwheat | comes from China, in Europe since the Middle Ages | gluten-free, valuable carbohydrates and protein, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins | Whole grains are processed like rice, briefly fried as a topping, or as flour for baking |
| Quinoa | Cultivated by the Incas for around 5,000 years | gluten-free, plant-based source of protein and minerals | Preparation similar to rice, as a side dish for patties |
| Amaranth | cultivated in Mexico around 9,000 years ago | gluten-free, high in iron, essential amino acids (lysine) and antioxidants | slightly nutty, puffed as a topping or in granola, cooked as a side dish, flour is better as an addition |
Is ancient grain healthier than other grains?
Ancient grains are considered to be easier to digest and more nutritious than other types of grain. The widespread wheat in particular is a thorn in the side of many people when it comes to healthy eating. We looked at how well or poorly this actually performs compared to the highly praised ancient grain.
Ancient grains vs. wheat: nutritional values in comparison
A look at the macronutrients reveals: Whole grain wheat is often on a par with emmer, spelt, etc.
However, when it comes to trace elements and minerals such as iron, magnesium or zinc, spelled is ahead of wheat.
Tip (not only) for athletes: Spelled contains more protein and essential amino acids than wheat. Essential amino acids are involved in many metabolic processes and are considered building blocks for proteins. However, the body cannot produce them itself, but must absorb them through food.
Millet, on the other hand, contains a lot of iron, but cannot keep up with wheat when it comes to potassium, calcium and folic acid.
Emmer, on the other hand, provides similar nutrients to wheat, but contains almost twice as much vitamin E.
As you can see, despite its bad reputation, wheat is comparable to ancient grain. However, it is important that you rely on organic quality and use whole grain products. Of course, the white toast bread from the supermarket cannot compete with gently prepared ancient grain bread from the small organic bakery next door.
As always when it comes to healthy eating, it's all in the mix! Try to incorporate as many different foods as possible into your daily breakfast routine.
Is ancient grain more digestible?
A study by researchers at the University of Hohenheim found that the production of baked goods has a greater impact on digestibility than the type of grain used. Baked goods made from ancient grains are often offered in organic bakeries that rely on traditional baking methods and whole grain flour. This often gives the dough more time before it is further processed. The longer walking time can reduce the amount of short-chain carbohydrates that increase irritable bowel symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea or cramps.
Which type of grain ultimately suits you best is very individual.
What are the benefits of ancient grains?
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Healthiness: Products made from ancient grains are a good and healthy alternative to industrially produced baked goods.
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Nutrient wealth: The variety of ancient grains offers a colorful mix of valuable vitamins and trace elements that you should integrate into your diet.
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Intense Flavor: Some ancient grains have a very intense flavor that will enhance your cooking and baking skills. Emmer, for example, tastes particularly hearty and nutty, while the gently nutty taste of kamut particularly enriches bread and rolls.
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Environment and biodiversity: Ancient grain requires fewer nutrients, does not leach the soil as much and promotes biodiversity.
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Regional cultivation: If you rely on grains such as emmer, spelled or einkorn, you can get them from regional cultivation in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
Is ancient grain gluten-free?
No. Although there is evidence that einkorn is less toxic for celiac disease patients than conventional wheat, ancient grain is not gluten-free.
If you suffer from celiac disease, an intolerance or simply want to consume less gluten, you should rely on pseudograins such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat or even rice.
How can I integrate ancient grains into my diet?
Do you want to eat a more balanced diet and find yourself always putting the same foods in your shopping basket? We have a simple recipe with just a few ingredients for a blackberry casserole with spelt and cinnamon crunch that you can enjoy as a delicious dessert or sweet breakfast.
7 ideas on how you can use ancient grains
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Basis for porridge: Do you prepare your daily porridge with oat flakes? Instead, just use flakes made from spelt or millet. You can also make a delicious breakfast porridge from quinoa, amaranth or buckwheat. If you don't feel like cooking grains or flakes for a long time, rice pudding made from rice pudding flakes or homemade semolina pudding are a good choice for you. All you have to do is boil them briefly, garnish with fresh fruit and enjoy!
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Toppings: Puffed amaranth or roasted buckwheat are a delicious change to enhance your smoothie bowls or warm breakfast.
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For baking: You can easily mix emmer flour with spelled flour to make a delicious ancient grain bread. Many of the ancient grains are also suitable for sweet dishes. This means you can prepare pancakes or waffles with einkorn flour even if you have little experience.
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Side dish: Many types of pseudo-cereals are delicious side dishes for your vegetable stir-fry or a creamy curry and are suitable as an alternative to rice as a filling ingredient for your crisp salad.
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Stews and soups: A delicious chili sin carne with green kernels, a hearty soup with emmer or even with quinoa bring variety to your bowl.
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Bratlings: You can conjure up delicious and dimensionally stable vegan patties from emmer, green kernels or einkorn.
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As a filling for vegetables: Peppers or tomatoes can be wonderfully filled with rice and then baked in the oven. Instead of rice, simply use one of the ancient grain varieties mentioned above.
Which Wholey products contain ancient grains?
Are you convinced of the benefits of ancient grains and would like to have more of them in or on your breakfast? Then Crunchy Granola is a crunchy addition to the first meal of the day or as a snack in between meals. With spelt, amaranth and quinoa, three of the ancient grains are combined in a crunchy topping.
Sources:
Federal Food Key (accessed on March 28, 2022)
Neumann, E., Schächtele, J. (2020): Ancient grains: Old grains new in the kitchen, Federal Center for Nutrition, https://www.bzfe.de/lebensmittel/trendlebensmittel/urgetreide/ (accessed on 28.03.2022)
Ziegler, J., Steiner, D., Longin, F., u.a. (2016): Wheat and the irritable bowel syndrome – FODMAP levels of modern and ancient species and their retention during bread making. In: Journal of Funcional Foods, Volume 25, August 2016, S. 257 ff. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464616301463 (accessed on 28.03.2022)
Cooper, R. (2015): Re-discovering ancient wheat varieties as functional foods. In: J Tradit Complement Med, S. 138 ff. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488568/ (accessed on 28.03.2022)
