Spelt, grain of the past, grain of the future.

My scriptures had told me that wheat was created for the use of human kind. When I studied nutrition I had to start to question this belief, so many people have bad reactions to wheat. If God said wheat was for man, then there certainly shouldn't be so many people reacting badly to it. Something wasn't sitting right for me, until I discovered Spelt.

Spelt is an old grain, belonging to the Wheat family. It grew out of popularity as technology advanced and the population increased. We wanted more grain for less money. So grains were specially 'bred' to solve this every growing need for cheaper more profitable grain.

Some 800 years ago Hildegard von Bingen, (St.Hildegard) wrote about spelt: "The spelt is the best of grains. It is rich and nourishing and milder than other grain. It produces a strong body and healthy blood to those who eat it and it makes the spirit of man light and cheerful. If someone is ill boil some spelt, mix it with egg and this will heal him like a fine ointment."

In many ways Spelt appears to be the perfect cereal. It makes full demands on the soil, can grow just about anywhere, is not susceptible to diseases and as it does not respond well to synthetic fertilizers, it is almost always organic.

So, why is it not commonplace?

The crop yields are less than that of the common wheat and the hulling cost as more expensive. The grain is about twice the size of wheat grains and is firmly attached to the husk. A specialised milling process is required to remove the husk. The husk has also been put to therapeutic purposes. A pillow filled with spelt husk are said to relieve pain and help with relaxation.

The Spelt grain is a highly nutritious. It is naturally high in fibre and contains more protein than other wheat. It contains 7 out of 8 essential amino acids. It contains higher than average vitamins, especially B's, & minerals and high silicic acid, so it has a positive effect on the intellect, skin, hair and nails. Many who have wheat allergies and some gluten-sensitive people; find that they can safely eat Spelt based foods.

I love Spelt. It makes wonderful tasting bread. It has more taste, than regular wheat, more nutty. Spelt can be used in place of wheat in just about any recipe. I just replace it for ordinary white or wholemeal flour. Spelt is an easily digestible grain, making wonderful pasta.

One of the first things you will notice when using spelt flour is that it always seems to require less liquid than other flours. To use spelt in a recipe designed for wheat flour, you would start by using ¼ less liquid than called for or ¼ more spelt flour. It would be best to try it out on easier items, such as muffins, pancakes, coffee cake, etc., before trying to make yeast breads. I have a bread machine and I simply replace the flour in the recipes for Spelt and have great results, but you will need to keep an eye on the liquid content to start with.

For me discovering Spelt, made me release that Wheat is differently for human kinds, it just that we can't help tampering around with things, until they aren't what they are supposed to me. Makes you think about Genetically Modified foods, doesn't it?

Spelt products are available on http://www.puttingitright.com.au

About the Author
Andrea Putting N.D., Naturopath, Writer and creator/owner of health sites including, http://www.puttingitright.com.au, http://www.naturopathsresourcefile.info, and http://www.naturalhealth4cats.info . Explore the world of Natural Medicine; take your health into your own hands. Know how to be healthy and stay healthy.