Wheat

Lore & Background

Wheat encompasses wild and domesticated grasses within the genus *Triticum*. Domesticated strains, such as common wheat, spelt, durum, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan, are cultivated globally as staple cereals. Key defining characteristics that distinguish domesticated wheat from its wild ancestors include larger grain size and a toughened rachis that prevents the ear from shattering during harvest, traits that make these plants dependent on humans for seed dispersal and reproduction. Wild einkorn, native to Southwest Asia, grows in open parkland and steppe environments, while wild emmer favors rocky basaltic and limestone soils. The earliest archaeological evidence for domestic einkorn comes from sites in southern Turkey, and genetic evidence indicates it was domesticated independently in multiple locations. Domesticated emmer, first cultivated in the southern Levant, exists in hulled (non-shattering) and free-threshing varieties, with free-threshing forms becoming more common over time. These two species are considered founder crops of the first farming societies in Neolithic West Asia, where they were initially harvested with stone-bladed sickles and processed into flour using ground stone mortars. Early cultivation methods included enclosing fields against grazing animals and re-sowing stands after harvest, without systematic tilling.

Reader's Guide

Wheat is a group of wild and domesticated grasses of the genus *Triticum*, cultivated as cereals for their staple grains. Well-known species and hybrids include common wheat (*T. aestivum*), spelt, durum, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan (Kamut). The archaeological record indicates wheat was first cultivated in the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BC. Hunter-gatherers in West Asia harvested wild wheats for thousands of years before domestication, though they formed a minor part of their diets. Domesticated strains arose through repeated harvesting and sowing, which selected for larger grains and non-shattering heads—traits that made gathering easier but rendered the plants dependent on humans for dispersal. Wild einkorn grows across Southwest Asia in open parkland and steppe; its domestic form is distinguished by ears that do not shatter without pressure and wider grains. Genetic evidence shows einkorn was domesticated in multiple places independently, with the earliest domestic evidence from sites in southern Turkey. Wild emmer favours rocky, basaltic and limestone soils of the Fertile Crescent’s Hilly Flanks; it was first cultivated in the southern Levant as early as 9600 BC. Domesticated emmer includes hulled and free-threshing varieties, with free-threshing becoming more common over time. Einkorn and emmer are two of the founder crops of Neolithic West Asian farming societies, which also cultivated naked wheats and a now-extinct form of Zanduri wheat. Early wheat cultivation was relatively labour-light, exploiting annual grasslands and floodplains without systematic tilling. Wheat grain was stored after threshing, processed into flour with stone mortars, and used for bread, porridge, and gruel. Straw was also important for fuel, wicker-making, and construction. Domestic wheat spread rapidly to regions where wild ancestors did not grow, reaching Cyprus by 8600 BC, Greece by 6500 BC, and Egypt shortly after.

Did You Know?

• World trade in wheat is greater than that of all other crops combined.
• Wheat has more stomata on the upper side of its leaf than on the underside.
• Gluten, which comprises most of the protein in wheat, can trigger coeliac disease in a small part of the population.