Einkorn, Triticum monococcum

Einkorn is a very old grain of the wheat family that is not as well known as other wheat varieties or rye. However, it is currently experiencing a small renaissance as it is particularly healthy. An ancient superfood that is also getting a small place in the wheat field on our Global Field, although the global area under cultivation is actually too small.

Properties of einkorn

Einkorn usually has long awns. The stalks are very long at up to 1.5 meters, which makes it not particularly stable and therefore requires optimal timing for harvesting. The ears appear flat, with roof tile-shaped grains that are firmly enclosed in husks. So-called naked grains, such as wheat or rye, do not have such husks. They protect the grain from cold, wind and rain and also from pest and disease infestation. This is why resistant husked grains such as einkorn are particularly suitable for organic cultivation.

During further processing, however, they require an additional step compared to naked grains: tanning (also known as hulling or dehulling). During the tanning process in the hulling mill, the husks are removed from the grains, which can then be turned into flour, meal or flakes. This further processing step means that products made from husked grains are usually more expensive.

Formerly the most valuable grain – hardly known today

Einkorn (botanical name: Triticum monococcum) belongs to the sweet grass family (botanical name: Poaceae) and probably originates from what is now Iraq. The history of einkorn begins around 32,000 years ago, when hunters and gatherers of the early Stone Age crushed the seeds of what was then a wild cereal with stones and roasted the resulting porridge over a fire. When they finally settled down in the Middle Stone Age, they began to cultivate wild einkorn. Wild einkorn (Triticum urartu) had an effective seed dispersal mechanism. As soon as the grains were ripe, the so-called ‘spike spindle’ broke. The grains fell to the ground and waited for the next summer to germinate. All plants without a brittle spike were left behind. They were unable to spread on their own.

With agriculture, however, our ancestors began to select those plants whose spikelets remained stable so that ripe grains remained on the stalk and could be harvested successfully. All others were excluded from propagation. After many generations, the stable spike was the dominant characteristic. Grain size and disease resistance had also improved. Thus, the domesticated einkorn was born and gradually made its way across the Alps to Europe from the later Stone Age onwards. During the Bronze Age (approx. 2200 to 88 BCE), this valuable grain was one of the most important cereals and thus a main component of the diet at the time. Einkorn (ein german meaning one grain) got its name from the fact that there is only one grain per ear in the spike – emmer, for example, has two grains.

This makes einkorn a low-yielding cereal, which is why einkorn became less and less important and the two-grain emmer (Triticum dicoccum) was increasingly used. Emmer originated from a cross between the wild einkorn and the goosefoot grass (Aegilops speltoides). Emmer is the direct ancestor of today’s durum wheat (Triticum durum), which is used to make pasta, couscous and bulgur.

Einkorn – a superfood

After decades of breeding our familiar wheat and the associated intolerances, the original einkorn is now experiencing a renaissance. It is particularly nutritionally valuable and, in contrast to our usual bread wheat, contains significantly higher levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium and phosphorus, trace elements such as zinc and selenium and unsaturated fatty acids. Einkorn is the grain with by far the highest content of carotenoids and tocols, a precursor of vitamin E. The grain also contains B vitamins (B1, B2, B3). The large amount of carotenoids give einkorn its yellowish color and can prevent cancer if eaten regularly due to their antioxidant properties.

Einkorn – like wheat – contains the protein gluten, which is a problem for people with coeliac disease. Gluten is a protein mixture which, in combination with water, forms the gluten structure in the dough. However, the gluten in einkorn has a different composition to that in wheat, which can mean that gluten-sensitive people can tolerate einkorn well even though they have a negative reaction to wheat. Other ingredients that can be responsible for allergies and intolerances to wheat are certain proteins. These amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are contained 5 to 7 times less in einkorn than in wheat. ATIs are known for their ability to promote inflammation in the body. Therefore, the reduction of ATIs in einkorn can lead to a reduced burden on the gastrointestinal system and possibly to a better tolerance.

Where and how einkorn grows

Einkorn is rarely grown in Europe. The renaissance is taking place in many different places on small organic farms – for example in Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey. As einkorn grows relatively slowly, organic cultivation can lead to problems with the accompanying vegetation. The increased weed pressure due to the longer juvenile development of the grain can be countered with measures such as false seedbeds, blind harrowing, cultivation in a wide row as a root crop and/or higher seed rates.

However, einkorn has many advantages, such as low site requirements and high weather resistance. It thrives on poor, dry and nutrient-poor soils. Thanks to its husk, einkorn is resistant to diseases and pests and, as a low-input crop, hardly needs any fertiliser. Above all, it requires hardly any nitrogen, which is why the residual nitrogen of the previous crop must also be taken into account. Einkorn prefers medium-heavy, deep soils in sunny locations. Depending on the variety and region, einkorn is grown as a winter cereal (sown at the beginning of winter, annual overwintering plant) or summer cereal (sown at the end of winter). However, cultivation as a summer cereal is more difficult due to its slow juvenile development.

As shallow rooters, the single grain stalks have a weak stability and therefore tend to tip over in the field (tendency to stay stuck or lodged). The average yield is around 80 to 120 kg/hectare, whereby the seedbed should be quite finely sowed and the seedbed should be rolled with a roller after sowing. Depending on the hoeing device, a row spacing of 16 to 25 cm is recommended. The water requirement for germination is higher than for wheat.

Somewhat complicated harvest

The right degree of ripeness must be selected for harvesting. The brittleness of the ear spindle – the main axis of the ear – plays a particularly important role here. If einkorn is harvested too early, the combine harvester can clog up because the awns are too tough. If it is harvested too late, losses can occur because too many parts of the ear have already broken off. You therefore need a sure instinct for successful cultivation.

In contrast to wheat, einkorn has a low yield. While modern wheat can be expected to yield 7 – 8 tonnes per hectare, einkorn yields 1 – 2 tonnes from the same area. So there are economic reasons why wheat has become established in mass production and has been further developed and bred for high yields over the course of time. Einkorn was simply too costly to grow and too low-yielding to be competitive. It is therefore rather unlikely that einkorn will develop into an intensively cultivated type of grain worldwide in the foreseeable future. This is a shame, because grain diversity is an investment in the future. Only if we maintain a diversity of grain types and varieties can we ensure that, even in times of changing environmental conditions (climate change) or new eating habits, we will have grain available that is adapted to regional conditions. Considering this, maximum yield is not such an important factor.

Einkorn – yes, but for what?

Einkorn is used to make flour, bread, pastries and pasta. When cooked, it is suitable for salads, soups and stews. It can also be used as fodder or for brewing beer. When milled, the kernels of einkorn produce a ‘fluffy’ flour. When baking, it should be noted that the baking properties of ancient grains are nowhere near as good as those of modern wheat, as they have comparatively weak gluten properties. The exclusive use of ancient grains in baking recipes can therefore lead to difficulties in processing and unsatisfactory baking results. The soft gluten is said to result in poor dough stability, so that no free-standing breads are produced, only breads in baking forms. In addition, the gas holding capacity and therefore the baking volume is very low. Nevertheless, gourmets describe the grain as the finest that can be grown in Europe. The golden yellow color of the products and their nutty taste are quite unique. In many artisan bakeries, the ancient grain is used for new bread creations.

Sources

Grain info: Einkorn. Link.
Cultivari: Einkorn – a grain of the finest quality. Link.
Pflanzenforschung.de: Back to the future. Renaissance of einkorn and emmer. Link.
Pflanzenforschung.de: From wild sweet grass to modern wheat. A long breeding journey that is far from over. Link.
Ancient grain purists: What is einkorn? Link.
Oekolandbau.de: Organic einkorn cultivation. Link.
The World of Baking: Ancient grain varieties. Link.