Spelt (Triticum spelta), although in the same family, is not wheat (Triticum sativum) and is among the original, natural grains known to man.

Modern research in Europe recently has proven that Spelt was grown in Europe thousands of years ago. Mentioned in the Old Testament, Exodus 9:31, 32 and Ezekiel 4:9, Spelt was last of prominence in early medieval Europe.

Spelt was always known as the HEALTH grain, and in the year 1068 AD Hildegard in Germany began the Hildegard clinic, predominantly using Spelt Broths and Spelt, fruit and vegetable diets to cure many illnesses.

" Spelt is the best grain, warming, lubricating and of high nutritional value. It is better tolerated by the body than any other grain. Spelt provides its consumer with good flesh and good blood and confers a cheerful disposition. It provides a happy mind and a joyful spirit. No matter how you eat spelt, either as a bread or in other foods, it is good and easy to digest."
(PL 1131C).

In the 18th Century however with the onset of the industrial revolution Spelt began to be overlooked and wheat preferred, for three commercial reasons:

1. Wheat was free threshing, ie. The kernel fell out of the husk when harvested compared to Spelt's strong husk requiring cracking with coarse mill stones.

2. Wheat was higher yielding in tonnes per hectare, although Spelt had higher protein per hectare.

3. Wheat naturally had stronger Gluten, giving a more reliable bread baking process.

Over the last 100 years all the research on Wheat has been to strengthen the Gluten even further, solely for the commercial reliability of baking and the requirement for the introduction of high volume mechanical baking machinery of modern bakeries.

As well as wheat now having an 'unnaturally' strong gluten, most modern commercial breads also have extra wheat gluten added, making baking with wheat very reliable. Little or no consideration has been given to nutritional value of the resulting breads.

Noting that the real nutritional value of wheat is in the husk which is more often that not thrown away.

The nutrients in Spelt are in the kernel, and so are not lost. It is high in Amino acids, minerals, trace elements, mucopolysaccharides, which even out digestion, effectively lowering the GI index; phytosterols which help reduce cholesterol absorption, complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fats, and contains no cholesterol.

There is a large amount of information on the benefits of spelt on the internet and more and more people are converting to it for health and flavour. The comment we often hear is "We go from breakfast to lunch without feeling hungry and have more energy". (The body is satisfied nutritionally and with energy)

At Venerdi we know through a heritage of experience in animal health, based on healthy soils, the difference a healthy soil and consequentially the eating of the healthy food grown in that soil can make to ones wellbeing and overall joy of living.

Unfortunately not all, in this world, that appears healthy is healthy, in fact the pressures of modern commercialization in food production has pushed the growing of food crops especially those grown for human consumption to be not adequate at all as "human animal" food.

Most of these foods are grown for quantity, appearance, shelf life, and efficiency of production with little regard if any for health of the end user. The use of soil sterilization with chemicals to stop competition with weeds, the use of chemical quick response fertilizers, the lack of knowledge of the requirements of trace elements for health, the lack of knowledge of, and the lack of biological activity in the soils ie. Worms, bacteria, fungi that are essential to the release and abundance of essential elements in the soil and the making of them available to the plant.

The reducing life in our soils is probably the main cause of the increase in the horrible diseases of cancer and heart disease.

Venerdi uses only organic ingredients in an effort to improve the healthy options of consumers.

However Venerdi really would like to see a “Soil Grading System” based on 3 categories:

1. Soil nutrients.
2. Biological activity.
3. Residues.

All soil used for food production should be classified with a grade for each category, giving the consumer a serious guide to more healthy foods.

Commercialisation and its fixation solely on sales and profitability therefore lowering the costs of ingredients has had a huge effect on our health, as growers are put under more and more pressure to reduce costs of ingredients to manufacturers and supermarkets, the direct result being loss of nutritional quality in our food, fortunately there is becoming a stronger and stronger public lobby demanding more healthy food in the main stream.

We at Venerdi believe modern day wheat with its unnaturally strong gluten plus the practice of adding more gluten to modern breads and the poor quality of the soils after years of forced production with Chemical fertilizers and herbicides may prove to be a major contributor to the poor health of many unsuspecting consumers.

There are a growing proportion of the population who know they have a wheat allergy. Wheat is on top of the list produced by the district health Boards of the most common allergenic foods and we have noticed there are many people who claim not to be wheat intolerant but they “just prefer not to eat bread” Perhaps these people are listening to their bodies and know that wheat is not good for them.

Venerdi only bakes with Organic Spelt for the health attributes mentioned at the beginning of this article and through our own experience, and that of others, we are confident spelt offers a healthy, and tasty alternative to wheat, and although Spelt still contains gluten it is weak and unaltered from its ancient natural past thus causing far less allergenic problems and is easy on the digestive system.

Venerdi also makes a tasty Gluten Free range of breads from organic brown rice flour, tapioca and maize flours. This range is a very pleasant change from the tasteless crumbly loaves of the past.

Venerdi is continually looking to develop new products and will launch them as they become available.

Eat Spelt Eat Well
Phil Grainger