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Poppys and Spelt - Photo (c)
pizzodisevo
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The spelt
We distinguish the small spelt (Triticum monococcum L.), the medium
spelt (Triticum dicoccum Schrank) and the big spelt (Triticum
spelta L.). The interest of the farmer is just for the medium
and the big spelt, for which populations, selectioned production
lines and cultivated varieties exist.
The small spelt nowadays
is useful in the work of the genetic betterment. It is different
from the cultivated one because it maintains the "dressed cariossidi" (covered by glumes and glumellas) at the end of the
treshing. The elimination of the exterior wrappers needs a
further "undressement", that together with the low yields, has
caused the almost total abandon of this cultivation.
The spelt is one of the most ancient cereal used by the mankind.
His cultivation goes back at least to 7000 B.C. It has been the
basic food of Assyrians, Egyptians and of all the Middle-East
and North Africa populations.
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Attending to recent studies the birthplace should be Palestine,
where also nowadays is shed a spontaneous kind of spelt (triticum
dicoccoides); it seems that this cultivation have been taken
from this region to all the others by the nomadic shepherds.
It's a graminaceous plant with an erect and resistant stalk and
with a linear leaf, that grows in the mountain areas. The name
"spelt" means fibber in Latin and it's a particular type of
wheat, which was widely cultivated in the Roman age. After that
it has been almost abandoned and only recently rediscovered for
many purposes. Without this precious and nutritious cereal (it's
known that 100 grains can give a lot of energy), Roman legions,
who commonly received it (also as wages), wouldn't have
conquered the world. Two dishes were really appreciated at that
time: the "mola salsa" prepared with the toasted spelt flour and
salt, and the "libum", a kind of spelt pie, also offered to
divinities during the propitiatory ceremonies.
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Salt and spelt grains were offered to all the rural divinities,
but particularly to Demetra, the earth goddess, to propitiate a
good harvest during the "Idi of March". Also in the bible (Ezekiel 44-30) the spelt is mentioned with
the Hebraic name of "Arisab". Nowadays this cereal is used to
cook national dishes in Lebanon, Libya, and in almost all the
Middle-East countries, even if called with different names
(Taboulé, Kibbé, Salf).
Generally these dishes result being more
or less the same course, that is kind of a very thick soup of
soaked spelt (raw or cooked), chikpeas, mint, olive oil and
pepper, with which they stuff just bloomed tender fig leaves.
The Lebanon's Kibbé is made of soaked and boiled spelt in the
tomato sauce with sheep meat. The Libic Kibbé, known as well in
Tunisia and Morocco, is made of soaked and boiled spelt, fillets
of fish, chopped pumpkin and walnut slices.
The spelt has been widely used also with a medicinal aim, and
there are many ancient scriptures that quote cures with this
precious food. In the Padania plane (Italy) it was cultivated
even in the earl Neolithic age.
The most ancient testimony of the
cultivation of the wheat comes from Vhň (Piadena, near Cremona),
where in the 4300 b.C. a primitive wheat, the most slender of
all the cultivated wheat species, the small spelt (Triticum
monococcum) was sowed . |
Spelt grains
Photo (c)
Plates&Packs
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The small spelt shows erect green-yellow spikelets, flatted on the sides. The single spikelets, with two
flowers, are ordered on two lines. Normally just the lowest
flower of each spike matures, from which the denomination
"monococcum". The small spelt is "dressed", that is the grains,
the matured ones too, remain tenaciously wrapped up, differently
than the "naked" grain; in the treshing only the spikelets are
removed and so it's necessary to roast them in a drying oven to
set the grains free. In the Neolithic age the most important cereal was the small
spelt (Triticum monococcum), next the big spelt (triticum
dicoccum) and the barley (Hordeum vulgare). In the north of
Italy the inventory of the plants that were cultivated at that
time coincides with the ones of the near Orient, where was
occurred the farm revolution. In the middle and in the late
Neolithic age, the cultivation spread out also in the interior
alpine area; the farmer came from south in the valleys, as
results by the presence of cereal in the provinces of
Brescia, Trento and Bolzano. In addition to the two quoted
cereals were cultivated at that time also the big spelt and
another "dressed" wheat, very similar to the small spelt. The
spikes of the big spelt are heavier and more hanging down if
they are matured; the spikelets have three flowers and usually
just two mature so the harvest is more profitable.
In the Roman
age there have been a radical change in the cultivation of
cereals: in the middle-alps the barley (Hordeum vulgare) and the
big spelt (Triticum dicoccum) got big importance, followed by
spelz (Triticum spelta) and the dwarf grain (Triticum aestivum
compactum); along the time, the small spelt lost importance and
it was just marginally cultivated; the millet (Panicum
miliaceum) took over the foxtail (Setaria Italica).
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Spelt fields at Castelluccio - Photo (c)
pizzodisevo |
In the high
Middle-age, or age of the barbarian migration, the most
important products remained the big spelt (Triticum dicoccum)
and the barley (Hordeum vulgare), followed by dwarf grain
(Truiticum aestivum compactum) and spelz (Triticum spelta); the
small spelt (Triticum monococcum) was cultivated just in the
areas with a rigid climate, where it couldn't grow neither
grain, nor spelz.
The spelt is nowadays cultivated in Garfagnana (Tuscany) in
modest quantity but with an excellent quality to obtain the
protected origin denomination (Dop) in the countries of the
European Community. In some areas of Umbria, and in Monteleone
of Spoleto in particular, the cultivation of spelt has never
disappeared. For the San Nicola festival in Bari, on the sixth
of December, a typical spelt minestrone is prepared.
It's not a coincidence that the spelt minestrone were always
suggested to old and young people, more influenced from the
risks of underfeeding. In Umbria and in Marche, the antique
spelt varieties are still cultivated, and they are particularly
appreciated for the flavor and the richness of fibers.
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Click here for an
Aolmaia spelt Tour in Garfagnana
Courtesy of AOLMAIA
touristic small groups tours in Tuscany
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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