Author: Flavia Biondi

Italian grains are many, but Sicilian ancient grains are very interesting and good for health. Let's find out about the rediscovered role of Sicily as the granary of Italy, as the "nurse on whose breast the Roman people fed".   Let's briefly review the history of ancient wheat and discover the world of ancient grains in Sicily! The evolutionary history of wheat and man have walked together and influenced each other. A link that began with the cultivation of monocot spelt (Triticum monococcum), followed by dicoccus spelt (Triticum dicoccum). Wild Triticums are the first to come into contact with humans. They differ from the selected and cultivated ones because they have more substantial outer coverings and the seed falls to the ground when ripe. With genetic improvement, these two aspects have disappeared in order to facilitate harvesting and milling. Hexaploid (i.e. containing six pairs of chromosomes) "naked" grain wheat is favoured.     Throughout agricultural evolution, Italian grains have been selected, consciously and unconsciously. The genetic improvement of ancient wheat began with Nazareno Strampelli. He worked mainly in Sicily and carried out cross-breeding and selection plans that led to a preference for more productive wheat to meet the ever-increasing demand for flour. And it is precisely in Sicily, in this land that is a reservoir of cultures, that we rediscover the ancestral cereal growing tradition. What are ancient grains? What is meant by ancient Sicilian grains? A nebulous and controversial topic. In this short article, I will try to illustrate the importance of ancient wheat. Visit Sicily & Choose our food experiences!   The (re)discovery and valorisation of ancient grains in Sicily Some clarifications on the term "ancient", which is often misused while talking about Italian grain. The expression has mainly commercial connotations. It refers to ancient wheat varieties which are