Species of
farro
Triticum monococcum
EINKORN WHEAT
The father of all wheats
12,000 YEARS AGO
Low content of gluten;
Rich in antioxidant or bioactive substances;
Low tenacity gluten;
Low environmental impact cultivation
Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum), called small farro, was the first cereal to be cultivated and used by men 12,000 years ago.
Einkorn wheat, through spontaneous crosses with other species of Triticum, gave rise to most of the wheat types known today (emmer wheat, durum wheat, common wheat and others). And that is why we can, without a doubt, call him the father of all wheat.
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Einkorn wheat is particularly rich in antioxidant and bioactive substances, such as lutein and carotenoids.
Compared to other species of farro, einkorn wheat has a higher content of tocopherols, especially α-tocopherol, the biologically most active form of vitamin E, known for its high antioxidant power
Triticum dicoccum
EMMER WHEAT
Farro par excellence
10,000 YEARS AGO
Low glycemic index;
Rich in minerals, proteins and vitamins;
Perfect for those who practice sports, but also for those who carry out sedentary activities
Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), farro par excellence, has the basic food characteristics typical of cereals:
- high content of starch;
- good content of protein (gluten);
- good content of fibers;
- unsaturated fats and vitamins in the germ.
Emmer wheat differs from common and durum wheat for some specific characteristics linked to the higher content of mineral salts, the presence of a thicker aleuronic layer, and the richness in beta-glucans.
It is the most widespread species of farro in the Mediterranean Basin and particularly in Italy, where its cultivation history dates back to Roman times and has been handed down until nowadays.
Triticum spelta
SPELT WHEAT
Big farro
8,000 YEARS AGO
It is the species genetically closest to common wheat and it has spread particularly in the countries of Northern Europe.
It is the species genetically closer to common wheat and it has spread particularly in the countries of Northern Europe.
Spelt wheat (Triticum spelta), is called “big farro” because of the larger size of its plant, its spike and its kernels compared to other kinds of farro.
It is the species which is genetically closer to common wheat and it has spread particularly in the countries of Northern Europe, where it has been cultivated for a long time and used for bakery products.
In Italy there are local varieties of spelt wheat, in the Apennine areas of the South, but to a lesser extent than emmer wheat.
The first variety of spelt wheat was introduced in the mid-1980s and cultivated in small areas. Other varieties have been introduced from Northern Europe, but their cultivation remains limited: an area of no more than a thousand hectares is estimated.
