Spelled: benefits and properties of a very old cereal

Spelled: benefits and properties of a very old cereal
Benefits of spelled, a variety of wheat with interesting nutritional properties within a healthy and balanced diet. Discover its most important virtues.

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

In some areas, the spelled is traditionally known as green wheat or wild wheat, although it is true that it is currently little known, although with it the bulgur is made, a typical food in the East that consists of Cooking the wheat grains on a grill and then split.

Spelled
What is spelled?

Spelled is a cereal that is actually less known or popular than wheat (Triticum aestivum), although some people actually consider it as a variety of wheat. For this reason, it is scientifically known as Triticum spelta.

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

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

Despite its nutritional wealth and its great nutritional value, the truth is that with the evolution of the most modern agricultural techniques, the spelled stopped cultivating towards the 19th century, falling almost into oblivion, mainly because the harvesters of that time were capable of harvesting the common wheat in a unique process, and not spelled, making the process more expensive.

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

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

And what is spelled flour?
As you can imagine, spelled flour is one that is made from the grinding of spelled grains. It stands out for being a fine powder very used for the elaboration of bread since it is a type of flour that offers a delicious and peculiar aroma, and a flavor that reminds very much the rustic bread that was made before.

Of course, in regard to the preparation of bread itself, most master bakers advise combining spelled flour with wheat flour, because this way you get a better result.

 

Nutritional benefits of spelled
Spelled stands out above all because it is an ideal wheat variety for organic farming, which mainly means that the majority of spelled products that we currently find in the market come from organic farming/cultivation.

High nutritional value, superior to common wheat
From a nutritional point of view is a cereal extremely rich in proteins (contains 8 essential amino acids), minerals (such as phosphorus, iron, and magnesium) and vitamins (especially vitamins B group, vitamin E and beta-carotene).

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

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

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

Moreover, the fiber present in spelled is especially soluble, which means that it helps delay the absorption of carbohydrates, being ideal in fact for people with diabetes.

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

Whereas, among the vitamins, the presence of B vitamins (especially B12), as well as vitamin E and A, stands out.