Our Grains

“The story of wheat is the story of who we are.”

Dan Barber from The Third Plate page 34

Throughout history cultures have adopted crops from others, for enjoyment and survival.

The food we know today originated from areas all over the world.

Khorasan Wheat

More commonly known as ‘KAMUT’, Khorasan wheat is an ancient grain native to the Khorasan region of Northeastern Iran. Khorasan means “place of the sun” in Persian and its wheat berries are three times the size of modern wheat varieties. KAMUT brand Khorasan began from 36 kernels of wheat that was purchased in Cairo, Egypt and planted in Benton, Montana. Within 6 years these 36 kernels grew into 1,500 bushels and was dubbed “King Tut wheat".” KAMUT is now popular in the health food industry, commonly used in cereals and pastas, but also works well in bread. Non-hybridized and non-GMO, Khorasan carries a superior nutritional profile to commodity wheat with a significantly higher protein and mineral content. It has a notorious golden color and a rich buttery flavor that carries beautifully into a loaf of bread.

Appalachian White Wheat

Although there are many different varieties of White Wheat, all carry with them a distinctly more mild flavor than typical red wheat. Appalachian White Wheat was adapted to be grown in the Eastern U.S. and allowed for North Carolina to grow high protein bread wheat. Appalachian White Wheat grown in the humid environment of North Carolina produces good grain quality with an average flour protein of 14.7%. With less tannins to carry that “wheaty’ flavor, White wheat has a mild creamy taste that doesn’t have as much bite as Red Wheat. Typically White Wheat is softer and not ideal to use to make bread, but we currently use an Appalachian Hard White Wheat. It is grown in the Piedmont by Fish Pond Branch farms and has excellent bread making characteristics.

Red Wheat

Hard Red Wheat has a high gluten content and creates a well structured loaf of bread. Heirloom varieties such as Turkey Red and Red Fife all have a distinct wheat flavor that creates a deep, hearty loaf of bread. Some people believe that Turkey Read Wheat was brought to Kansas by German Mennonites leaving Russia. However, this Red Wheat is very different from the Red Wheat we know today. Commodity wheat hasn’t been bred for flavor, it’s been bred for gluten content and profit. But, when Red Wheat is grown well, freshly milled and handled properly it creates quite a tasty loaf of bread.

Rye

Originally a ‘weed’ of ancient wheats, rye thrived in a wetter environment and eventually became a prized bread in northern parts of Europe. It is believed that cultivated Rye began in southwestern Asia in 6500 BC and migrated westward from there. Domesticated Rye reached central Europe around 4500 BC and can withstand frost, drought, and minimal soil fertility. Weedy Rye has smaller berries than domesticated Rye, and has even been found to have redeveloped itself back into its weedy variety in California! With a distinct tangy, sweet, flavor, Rye lacks a lot of gluten and will never make a really airy loaf of bread. But with such a strong, unique flavor, Rye will always have a place in almost all of our breads.

Spelt

Cultivated since 5000 BC, ‘Triticum Spelta’ is an ancient variety of modern wheat. Spelt once found itself being grown across more acres in Europe than wheat, but as modern farming techniques became more commonplace, the popularity of Spelt declined. This is because wheat was able to be harvested in one process and Spelt required additional processes to remove its durable husk. Spelt was re-discovered in the 1980’s and was brought to Eastern Ohio by Swiss immigrants. With a distinctly nutty flavor, Spelt is in the same family as Einkorn and Emmer. It does not have as much gluten as modern wheat but carries significantly more protein. It has a high degree of extensibility which can lend itself to flatter loaves, but its flavor shines through and always creates a delicious loaf of bread.

Heirloom Corn

With an almost an infinite amount of varieties, Heirloom Corn, or Maize, was a staple in the diets of Indigenous communities in current day South and North America. The knowledge that Indigenous peoples, specifically Tisquantum from the Pawtuxet tribe (located in what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts), was crucial to the survival of colonists. Heirloom corn not only gives the crust a heartier texture, but adds more flavor ranging from aromatic sweetness and cereal to distinctive nuttiness. Our Heirloom Corns are currently sourced from Redtail Grains in Eastern, North Carolina. Pictured above is Cateto Orange and Bloody Butcher. Cateto originates from South America and has a low soft-starch content. Bloody Butcher has been grown in Appalachia since 1850 and is hailed for its unique color and flavor.