What Is Spelt?

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When I first came accross Spelt as a possible ‘alternative’ to wheat, I was just a little confused.  On the one hand, I was coming accross information suggesting that people who where intolerant to wheat could eat spelt instead; sometimes spelt bread would be advertised as ‘wheat free’ and yet spelt is also referred to as a wheat.  So what is spelt? And is it a wheat?

Spelt is a relative of wheat with origins in Southeast Asia and was brought to the Middle East over 9,000 years ago, and then spread to Europe.  Spelt as a beneficial type of wheat is not a new concept and was referred to by the 12th Century healer St Hildegard of Bergen, who praised spelt as the best grain tolerated by the body.

It has previously been used in America to feed horses and livestock as a nutritious alternative to oats but is now seeing a rise in popularity accross the West as an alternative to ‘traditional’ wheat.  Whilst this could be the result of the pleasant nutty flavour, it is more likely because people with allergies and intolerance to wheat do not seem to react to spelt.

Spelt does contain gluten, however, those with gluten intolerances may be able to better tolerate spelt gluten.  The grain berry grows an exceptionally thick husk that protects it from pollutants and insects and the grain can be stored with its husk intact which means it stays fresher.  This is all good news because it reduces the need for pesticides and other chemicals.

Even better, spelt is rich in nutrients and in general is higher in protein, fat and fibre than most other varieties of wheat.  It is a highly water soluble fibre which means it dissolves easily and is readily absorbed by the human body.    This feature also affects how you cook with spelt and most importantly, bread.

Spelt can now be bought as pasta, bread, flour, cereal and the whole grain berry (looks and cooks like pearl barley).

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Sian does loads of things, too many to be brilliant at any of them. She co-founded Stormchasers Ltd with her husband Mark, runs a internet marketing training group for small businesses, is a writer, blogger, Master NLP Practitioner and business coach. Sian & Mark contribute jointly to the Ex-armed Forces Club and their blog, Leaving The Armed Forces, the programme to support anyone leaving the armed forces (surprisingly enough). Oh, and they help small businesses with a boring old website sitting around like a lump of toffee stuck down the back of the sofa, to get a dynamic and fluffy blog.

Sian

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Tagged as: IBS, Spelt, spelt bread, spelt flour