Live Well with Mother Nature’s Original Gluten

Einkorn grew wild in Paleolithic times, millions of years ago. When the first farmers gathered and planted wild einkorn seeds over 12,000 years ago, einkorn became the choice crop to nourish the earth’s first civilizations. Einkorn was rugged and could grow in cold climates and poor soil. Nomadic populations transported seeds as far as the Roman Empire and Egypt. In fact, Roman warriors consumed einkorn porridge for strength and energy before battles.

Saving Einkorn from Extinction

During the Bronze Age, farmers started cultivating the wheat that we now know as bread wheat or spelt, because it had higher yields.  Over time, einkorn came closer and closer to extinction. In 2009, when jovial’s founders were searching for a healthy alternative for their gluten sensitive daughter, there were just 200 acres of einkorn growing worldwide. Now, jovial is the largest grower of einkorn in the world, and einkorn is gaining in popularity as people recognize its health benefits – particularly how healthful it can be for the growing number of people with gluten sensitivity.

What makes einkorn’s gluten different?

  • Einkorn has never changed genetically for millions of years. Its gluten is the original form that humans were gathering thousands of years ago.
  • Studies have shown that the DNA of einkorn’s gluten structure is different because einkorn lacks certain high molecular weight glutenins that are present in other types of wheat.
  • Einkorn has the same amount of gluten as modern wheat*, so you can bake beautiful breads that are tastier and more nutritious than gluten free bread.
  • You can bake great bread with einkorn, yet because the gluten is very weak, you won’t have such a problem digesting it.

Site article:

*Studies on the protein composition and baking quality of einkorn lines

Herbert Wieser, Karl-Josef Mueller, Peter Koehler

European Food Research and Technology (Impact Factor: 1.44). 229(3):523-532. DOI:10.1007/s00217-009-1081-5