Einkorn is the only form of wheat on Earth that is completely unhybridized, containing the good gluten that even sensitive individuals can usually eat. Consuming it has four main benefits.
In my home, I’ve purchased organic white wheat and spelt in bulk for many years. Grinding it into fresh flour is the most nutritious and tastiest way to bake! I also did this to avoid the conventional toxic wheat in North America.
Farmers on this continent frequently desiccate their crops with glyphosate-containing herbicides. This practice is beneficial for ease and speed of harvest.
I credit this approach with my family avoiding any wheat allergies or problems digesting grains in general. This is true provided they are traditionally prepared. Bulgur is an example of this ancestral practice still widely used today.
For those of you who do have wheat issues, you’ll be encouraged to know that my husband used to have allergy and digestive issues with wheat years ago. He no longer does thanks to careful avoidance of wheat for several years, rebalancing the gut with traditional cooking, raw dairy, and the GAPS Diet.
Having a lot of experience dealing with wheat allergies, I can say that there certainly is a huge difference between modern processed wheat, products made with it such as seitan, and what you produce yourself at home.
I remember when I was breastfeeding my youngest child, if I ate so much as a mouthful or two of processed wheat at a restaurant in the form of a sandwich, slice of pizza, or a bread roll, she would spit up for one or sometimes even two days!
If I ate wheat that I ground myself and either sprouted, soaked, or sour leavened, however, she never had any spit up issues. To me, this was a huge testament to the radically improved digestibility of wheat that is prepared using the wise methods of ancestral cultures.
Einkorn Health Benefits over Modern Wheat
Given my success over the years with incorporating traditional methods of wheat preparation in my home, you may be surprised to learn that I’m switching the type I use.
What’s more, I’m switching 100%.
I still have about half of a large bucket of organic spelt to use up and a small amount of organic soft white wheat before the switch is complete. My goal is to have my family completely transitioned to einkorn wheat within another month or two.
Here are the 4 reasons why I am making the wholesale change to einkorn. Note that this strain is not to be confused with farro or heirloom wheat:
#1: Better Taste
My first experience baking with einkorn occurred after I received a thoughtful gift of, among other things, einkorn flour and wheat berries. I was delighted when I ground the einkorn into flour and saw how light and white it was.
I am not a fan of bran and am not of the food philosophy that all that fiber is actually good for you. Folks just think they need a lot of fiber as they are so constipated from all the processed foods they eat! Observing that einkorn, the most ancient and unhybridized form of wheat, has less bran compared with modern wheat was encouraging to me.
I was thrilled to see that my family thoroughly enjoyed the soaked waffles made with fresh einkorn flour. It was my first einkorn dish! Ever since they have asked me to use only that flour.
Like any Mom, I’m a sucker for kids who love my cooking and tell me so on a frequent basis. So, I made the easy decision to switch to einkorn completely for all my home baking.
#2: More Digestible
My husband’s stomach is my canary in the coal mine. If something is not easy to digest, he can tell and lets me know right away. As he has fully recovered from a wheat allergy, he knows which forms of wheat and which preparation methods sit best in his stomach and which do not.
While my properly prepared grain dishes made with wheat or spelt digest fine for him, once he tried the einkorn, he could tell that his digestion was even lighter for the experience. This is possibly because einkorn contains good gluten, different on a molecular level from modern gluten. It is much better tolerated by those with gluten sensitivity.
Better digestion means better absorption of nutrients, so einkorn surpassed the competition in that category.
#3: Einkorn is Visually Different
The first thing I noticed when I ground einkorn into flour for the first time was how much smaller a grain of einkorn is compared with a grain of modern wheat. They are about half the size!
In addition, the telltale crease on one side of a grain of modern wheat is absent from a grain of einkorn. The reason for the differences is that over the centuries, the genetics of wheat gradually changed due to human cultivation practices.
Year after year, farmers selected the seeds at harvest time that suited the goal of higher yields and more gluten. This worked best for big farms and larger-scale agriculture, production, and distribution of wheat products.
#4: Only Unhybridized Wheat on Earth
Einkorn is like most plants in that it is diploid. This means that contains only 2 sets of chromosomes. About 2,000 years after einkorn wheat, nature created emmer via the hybridization of 2 wild grasses. Consequently, emmer has 4 sets of chromosomes. Kamut and durum (bulgur) wheat are both descendants of emmer.
Spelt, an heirloom wheat, is the result of hybridization between cultivated emmer and another wild grass. Thus, it contains six sets of chromosomes. Modern wheat is a descendant of spelt.
Note that while humans extensively hybridized wheat over the millennia, there is currently no genetically modified wheat on the market. In the Western United States, however, test plots of GMO wheat have caused some contamination issues.
As you can see, einkorn is the purest and most ancient form of wheat available. It has only 2 sets of chromosomes with a very different composition of gluten. This form is easier to digest for many with non-genetic gluten intolerance.
Where to Source the Best Quality Einkorn
The only downside of einkorn is that it is not widely available and tends to be more expensive than other types of wheat. It is still quite new to the North American market.
My healthy shopping guide lists sources that I’ve vetted that are fast and affordable to ship to your door. I use these reliable companies myself and have for many years.
The organic einkorn wheat berries from these sources are grown and packaged on one secluded and pristine farm in Tuscany. It is very important to rotate crops on this farm. This is due to the hilly terrain, where yields are low and the land must stay fertile.
What this means is that this particular source of organic einkorn comes from fully pastured fields for five years prior. In addition, soil nutrition is enhanced using one year of crop rotation with the cultivation of chickpeas, lentils or fava beans. This ensures that there is no risk of cross-contamination with other types of grains. Each year’s crop of einkorn comes from truly fertile earth!
Have you tried einkorn wheat yet? If so, what observations have you made about this ancient, unhybridized wheat?
More Information
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emmer wheat is terrific too!
Great post Sarah! I have einkorn wheat pasta from Jovial. We really enjoy it. Do you think it’s ok to eat einkorn pasta because it is easier to digest than regular whole wheat pasta? We eat pasta about twice a month. Thanks
Sure, twice a month is fine in my view as it is not very often. Pasta is fine on occasion but is certainly no healthfood like it is perceived by the mainstream. We do pasta occasionally as well and yes, I do like the einkorn pasta. It has this slightly nutty flavor that is very enjoyable and so very different from conventional durum pasta.
Very interesting, can you comment on the issue of the pasta not being made from soaked/sprouted grains? Does it matter in this case? From having read Nourishing Traditions it seems that wheat in all forms needs some kind of soaking to make it digestible. How is Einkorn different? We’ve been buying the Essential Eating brand of sprouted pasta for our family – it’s super expensive but the only thing I can find that seems to be a healthy choice. Can you comment on that? Thanks.
GREAT post ! Thank you! We grind flour at home (and properly ferment the dough) but haven’t tried einkorn wheat yet. http://www.flickr.com/photos/luizazlatovic/3387449725/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/luizazlatovic/3388846818/
my 6yo has a gluten sensitivity. when he eats it, he turns into satan’s spawn for 2 weeks. he CAN eat stuff that has touched wheat (like eat a burger that was on a bun). any advice/opinions on kids like this eating einkorn wheat?
My son, too!
Suzanne, it’s not gluten-free but it IS safe for celiacs as the gluten is a fraction of what modern wheat contains.
This is not an accurate statement. Most celiacs cannot have any gluten whatsoever as they have strong reactions. Even if they have no symptoms – and some do not – the gluten is still causing their bodies to react and destroy their small intestine.
Celiacs need to be very careful and those who are not well versed in the condition should not be giving out advice. With all due respect. 🙂
Denise,
Are you a Doctor or a Nutritionist? Just wondering. It seems most Doctors make the kind of statement you are making but those educated primarily in nutrition say otherwise. I tend to not listen to Doctors for nutrition advice as they are usually more concerned with prescribing me pills.
Jon,
I am neither a doctor nor a nutritionist. I am someone with nine “auto-immune” conditions who has studied and read for years about nutrition. I am not under a doctor’s care – I am under MY care.
My statement stems from the fact that celiacs are so sensitive to gluten products that the reaction destroys their small intestines and can become life threatening. People who are gluten sensitive – myself – have a reaction, but it is not so serious.
Your remark was interesting – that I sound like a doctor – because most nutritionists who are aware of Einkorn and its value nutritionally also caution celiacs about eating it. More studies need to be done.
Personally, I believe it will be found similar to milk. Many people who are lactose intolerant cannot drink pasteurized homogenized “frankenfood” milk from the store, but they thrive on raw fresh unadulterated milk. Similarly, I believe that many people who have celiac and can’t eat gluten-containing products might be able to eat Einkorn, as it is original and not hybridized like modern wheat and other grains.
My reaction to the above post, which said that Einkorn contains so little gluten that celiacs can eat it, was because some celiacs are so reactive to gluten and gliadin that they can’t even consume products processed in a facility that processes wheat – even if the product doesn’t contain gluten.. Licia’s statement was irresponsible.
I am simply someone who has been forced by serious illnesses to become educated on health and nutrition and I share what I have learned while seeking to learn from others. I hope I have alleviated your concerns about me sounding “like a doctor”. Doctors would not like me. 🙂
Denise, thank you for your thoughtful and balanced comments.
Denise,
I feel like you should watch this video. Of course, I feel like everyone should watch this video. But it may help YOU in particular with all your auto-immune conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThlEnSKwCHQ
Agree completely. Celiac is no joke. While many profess to a sensitivity to gluten, a person with genuine celiac must be extremely cautious.
Exactly.
Meant to say Exactly, Deb McDonnell!
Good grief! Please do not spread misinformation like this! It is most certainly NOT SAFE FOR CELIACS. Someone with an intolerance or sensitivity, perhaps. Celiac Disease no. As someone who has studied Celiac Disease for over 10 years I am offended that you would make such a reckless statement
Seriously? Offended? There has been a study done on it at a university in Italy that showed absolutely no reactivity to Einkorn wheat. It does have gluten in it but it is not the same as modern wheat. It actually is able to be digested into smaller proteins that have no reactivity to the immune system. So please people stop arguing if you do not know anything about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einkorn_wheat
To be more clear, I think that people should understand that not all gluten is created equal. Not all celiacs react the same to all glutens.
Caution for celiacs is certainly a must, but it seems that some celiacs can indeed eat einkorn. You can find their stories on the web. The type and amount of gluten in einkorn is different. Thus the varying opinions and experiences.
For sure, einkorn has gluten, but far less of it. In fact, kamut and spelt have more gluten, and they are sometimes misrepresented as gluten free.
And sprouting, soaking methods, etc., make the einkorn even better. Additional variables that affect the impact of einkorn gluten are it’s higher nutrition content. And these are not the only variables. Life is very complex 🙂
The answers are not absolute; not so cut and dry. Each person’s body chemistry is so unique, and for some, einkorn can an excellent source of nutrition and enjoyment.
Hope that helps clarify some confusion.
my little brother had celiac as a baby, we almost lost him several times, before we finally figured out what was going on. He fianlly did OK on a diet of goat milk yogert, rice, bananas, vegetables. etc. Didn’t take much wheat and he’d turn blue from lack of oxygen, threw his body chemistry off, the only remedy was prune juice. He grew out of it mostly, but still doesn’t feel good after eating wheat so stays away from it. spelt isn’t the best for him either. He seems to be OK with einkorn, so I’m planning on growing it myself.
Modern wheat was made with radiation and toxic chemicals, it’s even worse than modern GMO as they don’t know all the changes made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSDkJEF9aBY
One of my concerns with grain flour is how quickly it goes rancid. Some grains go rancid more quickly than others…
It’s not gluten-free though.
Yes, it is gluten-free!
No. It is NOT gluten free!
From einkorn dot com:
If you’re asking yourself whether Einkorn flour contains gluten, the answer is “Yes, it absolutely does!”…but I have a secret to tell you. And I should probably disclose that this is not something your “everyday family doctor” is going to tell you. Here’s the secret: not all wheat gluten is created equal.
I like to explain by comparing sucanat and aspartame sweeteners. Imagine pouring a perfectly sweetened blueberry syrup over your hot-off-the-stove pancakes for your morning breakfast. If that syrup is made from natural sucanat sweetener or aspartame, it’s going to taste great either way. However, inside your body, the aspartame is killing brain cells while the sucanat is an unmodified substance that most people’s body can process naturally, without any damage to the body.
Einkorn has an entirely different genetic makeup than modern wheat. Modern wheats have been hybridized through years and years and millions and millions of $$$ in research. The goal of hybridization has been to increase yields, fight against plant disease, pests, weather conditions, etc. and many are starting to wonder if this long history of hybridization is the explanation for the rising number of people with a high intolerance to gluten.
I’m not saying I have all the answers…that’s why I have this website and it’s why I am researching the history and nutritional properties of Einkorn.
Einkorn is differs from modern wheat in 3 important ways, all of which may contribute to gluten intolerance:
Most modern wheat is a hybrid of many different grains and grasses.
Einkorn has a 14 chromosomes , whereas modern wheat has a 42 chromosomes which changes the gluten structure
Einkorn is considered more nutritious than modern wheat, based on the higher level of protein, essential fatty acids, phosphorous, potassium, pyridoxine, and beta-carotene.
Is it any wonder that so many people today are plagued with allergies and even extreme sickness as a result of eating modern wheat?
Anyway, getting back to the original question of whether Einkorn flour contains gluten. Most people ask this question because they would like to start eating bread again. I hope my answer gives you some hope.
Additionally, I have met some doctors who are working with suffers of celiac and gluten intolerance to see if they can safely eat specific, tested sources of Einkorn. These patients are going through a healing regimen first to get to this point and the initial results are very promising.
Stay tuned…I think we’re on to something here.
I served the Einkorn pasta to my grandson’s fiancé as she has a real problem with gluten and after eating a modest amount, she said she had none of the normal repercussions that she normally gets….. then or later. We have transitioned over to this wheat and prefer it. I still have the other wheat but have a hard time going back to it as the Einkorn is so very delicious and much higher in protein than the hybrid wheat.
Doris where do you get your einkorn?
I’m sorry …Dorsey.
Dorsey, doesn’t matter. I am gluten sensitive too and I can eat it. But someone with Confirmed celiac cannot have gluten and einkorn contains gluten. Jury is still out, but better safe than sorry.
I just learned of this grain. I hope to plant it next year.
Not easy to grow and the yield is low. It is a hulled wheat and grows best planted that way. The way you buy it is without the hull, so sprouting my be difficult.
Where do you get the seeds? Or you do pay the huge amount listed on a few websites?
It’s yummy!! Getting it is the hard part!!!
Hi Anna,
I grow lots of einkorn here in Saskatchewan, Canada. We have a 100% certified organic farm/mill. Let me know if you ever need some more. 🙂
I would love to know how to contact you for purchasing einkorn grain 🙂 Though I have a source, sometimes they run out! Do you have a contact or web page?
I’m in ontario looking for einkorn wheat berries and I am having a hard time finding anything but from the states. Not interested in paying $60+ in shipping from the US. Do you ship them at all?
Nicole,
I’m an organic farmer in Nebraska USA. Would you have any Einkorn seed for sale? We are going to plant some Emmer for the first time this spring. I would like to try Einkorn also.
Do you have any einkorn for sale right now ? Where are you located and what are prices?
Thanks Chris
I would like to try this flour.. please email contact information
Anna…THAT was a great tip. I found my einkorn a lot cheaper at Daybreakmill.com. Thank you!
Hi Nicole, I live in Haliburton, Ontario Canada I would love to buy some of your wheat. Do you have a minimum amount that you will sell. I am just thinking of shipping. But it would be so worth it to get some good organic Canadian wheat. I see you have a mill. Do you sell flour also?