Generality
Spelled is a product of vegetable origin, more precisely a cereal; as such, it belongs to the III group of foods and mainly provides starch (therefore "energy"), fiber, magnesium, potassium and some vitamins. of group B (if integral, especially niacin).
Like common wheat, spelled also contains gluten and does not lend itself to the diet of celiacs. It is marketed in the form of whole or hulled and dried seeds, and refined or whole flours; very often, spelled is an essential ingredient of first courses "soup" type.
Spelled can be differentiated into 3 very specific species: small, medium and large, all belonging to the family of Grasses (Poaceae) and the Gender Triticum: these three different Species are, in order, T. monococcum (small spelled), T. dicoccum (medium spelled) e T. spelta (large spelled).
Spelled was one of the very first cereals to be harvested and then cultivated by man. Unfortunately, following its import (probably attributable to the Roman legionaries), in our country it was almost completely replaced by Triticum durum and from Triticum aestivum (durum wheat and soft wheat); today, its consumption is considered as a therapeutic dietary intervention. In reality, the nutritional values of spelled are almost comparable to those of "traditional" wheat (with a slight advantage in protein content), even if it is mainly used in the form of whole seeds (in soups and broths), it helps to reduce the total caloric intake of the diet is sensible (it provides more water and fewer carbohydrates than dry pasta). Always compared to wheat, the cultivation of spelled is characterized by a lower yield of the plant and a greater expenditure in the technological processing of the seeds. "last aspect concerns the separation of the husk (fibrous portion) from the grains of the cereal; this intervention, for morphological reasons, requires an additional decortication intervention compared to the wheat.
It is however necessary to specify that, in Italy, traditional recipes based on spelled are still many; in the central regions, especially in Umbria and Tuscany (where the major crops of this cereal are still focused today), it is still possible to find many spelled-based foods.
Spelled salad
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Description and habitat
Spelled is structurally similar to common wheat. It is a herbaceous plant that produces inflorescences organized in ears, in which each flower corresponds to a fruit / caryopsis; however, compared to wheat, the three spelled produce a significantly lower volume of edible part. The least profitable is also the oldest one, that is the small spelled; followed by medium spelled (the one produced in Italy) and finally spelled. It seems that the latter does not belong to a natural species; it is in fact a cross between medium spelled and another wild grass. The area of origin of the various types of spelled is more or less the same, namely that between the eastern portion of the Mediterranean basin, the Caucasus and the northern portion of the Middle East (same band of meridians).
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
Spelled does NOT grow in areas with a cold temperate climate, but not even in tropical areas; it prefers regions with a Mediterranean climate or slightly cooler. The small differences between the ideal climate of one or the other Species have determined its selection in the cultures of the various countries; in Italy, for example, medium spelled (Mediterranean par excellence) is mostly cultivated, while spelled is quite widespread in Eastern Europe.
Gastronomic uses and nutritional characteristics of spelled
As anticipated, spelled contains gluten. This makes it suitable for bread making and, not surprisingly, its flours have been used in the production of focaccia since ancient times. Today, even spelled pasta is a rather well-known food (but not as much as the traditional food).
Spelled flour and spelled seeds are available in two forms: refined and wholemeal. They are both obtained from grains deprived of the glume and the husks, but the refined one has an extremely minor portion of dietary fiber. Spelled lends itself to the composition of soups, soups with legumes, potatoes and vegetables, first courses similar to risotto etc. Basically, spelled fully replaces the use of wheat.
The nutritional composition of spelled is quite similar to that of durum wheat and soft wheat; the protein intake is slightly higher but this is certainly not its most important characteristic. Spelled is a cereal and, as such, contains excellent quantities of complex carbohydrates which determine its high energy density. The lipid content is negligible and the fiber content is good.
With regard to mineral salts, from the table below you can see excellent concentrations of potassium and phosphorus but, in the whole product, magnesium should also be present in more than satisfactory quantities.
Sufficiently detailed information is not available to establish the entity of the vitamin content but it is conceivable that, again in whole spelled, an excellent concentration of niacin is appreciable.
Other Cereals and Derivatives Amaranth Wheat starch Corn starch Rice starch Modified starch Oat starch Bulgur Whole grains Corn Flakes Crackers Oat bran Bran Cus cus Amaranth flour Oat flour Buratto flour Spelled flour Buckwheat flour Corn flour Corn flour Millet Barley flour Quinoa flour Small spelled flour (Enkir) Rice flour Rye flour Sorghum flour Flour and semolina Whole wheat flour Manitoba flour Pizza flour Spelled Rusks Focaccia Nuts Wheat or wheat Wheat germ Burnt wheat Buckwheat Breadsticks Oat milk Rice milk Corn Maizena Malt Millet Muesli Barley Stale bread Unleavened bread and Pita Bread Carasau bread Egg pasta Rice pasta Wholemeal pasta Piadina Small spelled Pizza Pop corn Baked goods Quinoa Rice Basmati rice Converted rice White rice Rice Wholemeal Parboiled Rice Puffed Rice Venus Rice Rye and Horned Rye Semolina Semolina Sorghum Spaghetti Spelled Teff Tigelle Triticale OTHER ARTICLES CEREALS AND DERIVATIVES Categories Food Alcoholics Meat Cereals and derivatives Sweeteners Sweets Offal Fruit Dried fruit Milk and derivatives Legumes Oils and fats Fish and fishery products Salami Spices Vegetables Health recipes Appetizers Bread, Pizza and Brioche First courses Second courses Vegetables and Salads Sweets and Desserts Ice creams and sorbets Syrups, liqueurs and grappas Basic Preparations ---- In the Kitchen with Leftovers Carnival Recipes Christmas Recipes Dietary Recipes Light Recipes Woman's Day, Mother's Day, Dad's Day Functional Recipes International Recipes Easter Recipes Recipes for Celiacs Recipes for Diabetics Holiday Recipes Valentine's Day Recipes Vegetarian Recipes Protein Recipes Regional Recipes Vegan Recipes
