Types of Wheat: What to Grow and How to Use It

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Wheat breads, from whole-wheat to ryes, tempt us.
Wheat breads, from whole-wheat to ryes, tempt us.
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A 1,000-square-foot planting of wheat can yield 30 to 100 pounds of grain.
A 1,000-square-foot planting of wheat can yield 30 to 100 pounds of grain.
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Whole-wheat flour retains most of the grain's nutrients.
Whole-wheat flour retains most of the grain's nutrients.
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Many sweet treats are made from refined, soft-wheat flour.
Many sweet treats are made from refined, soft-wheat flour.
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The many types of flour can be confusing until you understand the terminology.
The many types of flour can be confusing until you understand the terminology.
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Gluten-free foods are often just as processed and sugary as other junk foods.
Gluten-free foods are often just as processed and sugary as other junk foods.

The great diversity we see today in wheat is the result of millions of years of evolution capped by 100 centuries of breeding by humans. Varieties originating throughout that history — modern types, heirloom varieties from past decades or centuries, and even wheat varieties we can date back to 9,000 B.C. — are still available today. Sorting through the types of wheat and flour to find the most nutritious or flavorful — or the best to use for a specific purpose — requires wading into a deep gene pool. Doing so, however, will give you better breads, more tender cakes and biscuits, and sturdier pastas.

There are no “standard” types of wheat. The term “wheat” encompasses a sprawling family tree of species, and myriad varieties within those species (see “Wheat’s Family Tree” later in this article), and no two varieties produce grain that’s exactly the same.

Which Wheat for Which Purpose?

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum), sometimes called “bread wheat,” is the most widely grown species, and yields the flour we buy by the bag. This wheat is the chief ingredient in commercial foods, such as loaf and raised breads, tortillas, doughnuts and cakes, and East Asian noodles.

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) is used in most dried pasta and couscous, for raised and flat breads in parts of Europe and the Middle East, and, less often, in the United States for raised breads. Although pasta can be made from common wheat as well, durum pasta predominates and is generally considered higher-quality.

  • Published on Jan 3, 2014
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