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Spelt is a hardy grain from the wheat family that has been cultivated for thousands of years. It has a tough outer shell, making it more nutritious and flavorful than wheat, and can be eaten by some with gluten intolerance. It requires special preparation and equipment to extract the inner kernel, but its hull protects the kernel during shipping and growth. Spelt can be ground into white or whole grain flour and used in most recipes.
Spelled is a grain from the wheat family that has been cultivated for thousands of years. Some debate has occurred over its classification, with some botanists considering it a subspecies of common wheat and others claiming it to be an entirely different species. Spelled became less popular with grain farmers due to the toughness of its outer shell, but with the rise of the health foods movement in the 1980s, it began to re-enter the popular diet.
People who eat farro often feel that the grain has more nutritional value and flavor than wheat, because the tough outer shell protects the grains. Spelled can also be eaten by some people with gluten intolerance, although bread made with this grain requires special preparation due to the lack of gluten. It has a delicious, distinctive nutty taste that is different from the milder flavor of wheat, although it seems unlikely to revolutionize human health, as proponents claim. Wheat is higher in protein and many vitamins than wheat and requires less enrichment than conventional flour.
In appearance, spelled looks a lot like wheat, with a dense cluster of grains growing on an elongated stalk. When it’s ready to harvest, the stems turn golden brown and begin to bend under the weight of the heavy kernels. Spelled is also harvested much like wheat, and the grain is separated from the chaff. The chaff can be plowed into the field for mulch, used for construction projects, or used to provide animal bedding.
Because spelled has a much harder outer kernel or hull than wheat, however, it requires more work to extract the inner kernel. The hull can be removed using special threshing equipment to access the kernel inside. This hull is believed to act to protect the kernel during shipping, making it fresher and more flavorful when it is threshed and ground into flour. More importantly, the hull protects the kernel from many pests and insect infestations, facilitating the growth of the grain without the use of pesticides.
Much like wheat, spelled is ground into flour, with white and whole grain incarnations available. Many bakers use whole grain spelled flour to take full advantage of the nutrition the grain offers. The flour can be used like conventional flour in most recipes, although some adjustments may be needed. For bakers who want to avoid the distinctive nutty flavor, white flour is recommended.
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