Ingredients
Going With the Grain:
Ancient Varieties, Gluten-Free Alternatives and More
By David Feder, RD
Archaeologists in China, South America nd the Middle East recently were able to push back the date of grain cultivation by nearly 2,000 years before the 10,000
BC date previously established. Applying the
simplest math, that means consumers have
enjoyed about 12 millennia of thriving, hearty
grain production prior to the introduction of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Since the days of early civilizations such as
Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Mayans and others,
grain cultivation and processing has come full
circle. Many can probably still remember
when the main option for bread was refined,
bleached wheat, stripped of nutrients. Today
however, the bread basket is once again filled
with all sorts of healthy choices—mixing in
many ancient (also called “heritage”) grains,
as well as innovative flours made from other
sources ranging from garbanzo beans to
hemp and chia seeds.
After grabbing an initial market toe-hold
through the friendly competition for variety
in seeded breads, these grain varieties (and
grain alternatives) have been moving into
mainstream applications such as cereal,
snacks, pasta and more.
The Revival of Heritage Grains
More and more manufacturers are now
using ancient grains to give products a unique
and healthful twist. These grains include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, emmer (also called
faro), kamut, millet, quinoa, sorghum, spelt
and teff. As with the Fertile Crescent where
ancient grain production arose, these grains
are at the nexus of several major paths. They
constitute a point where the movements toward organics, sustainability, fair trade,
small/local production, health, whole grains
and gluten-free converge.
Something heritage grains have in common is the relative ease with which they can
be organically cultivated and produced, as
well as typically higher amounts of minerals
(selenium, iron, magnesium, calcium and
phosphorous), vitamins (especially B vitamins
and vitamin E), omega oils, protein and fiber.
They also have more robust flavor notes and
add density to baking formulations when
compared to the typical wheat, rice and corn
flours used in mainstream food production.
Nature’s Path has been a leader in the use
of ancient grains. Its Heritage Flakes cereal
was one of the first products on the market to
highlight several of these grains. Recently, the
company came out with Optimum Strawberry
and Yogurt cereal, which incorporates kamut,
as well as two new gluten-free cereals
(Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla
Sunrise), which are made with quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth.
“We like to use heritage grains in our cereals because they are not as processed and are
closer to their natural state,” said Maria
Emmer-Aanes, director of marketing and
communications. “These grains also provide a
great source of nutrients, especially for people who are gluten intolerant and have a hard
time getting those nutrients elsewhere.”
In addition, most heritage grain varieties
are stone ground, which helps preserve nutrients, adds Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., cereal scientist and principal of Corvus Blue, a
Chicago-based food processing consultancy.
“The endosperm, bran and germ remain in
their natural, original proportions and are
not exposed to extreme temperatures because the stones grind slowly. Heat not only
destroys nutrients, it also hastens the oxida-
