Spelt vs. Farro

Understanding Spelt and Farro

Grains have been part of the human diet for thousands and thousands of years. Scientists have discovered that many of the primitive grains consumed in ancient times are easier to digest and have more nutritional value than the more common grains of modern times. This discovery has led to a lot of excitement about these grains. But with so many grain names from the past floating around, it’s understandable that people have a lot of questions. Two of the grains that commonly confuse people are spelt and farro.

 

Some questions people are asking are:

 

What’s spelt? What’s farro? Is spelt farro? Are farro and spelt the same? How does spelt vs farro compare? How do I use spelt and farro in my cooking? What benefits does my body receive when I eat spelt vs farro?

 

Let’s get into it:

 

The word farro refers to three different hulled grains: spelt (farro grande), einkorn (farro piccolo), and emmer (farro medio).   Learn more about the three types of farro.

 

 

So, is spelt farro? Yes. Spelt is a kind of farro.

 

Are farro and spelt the same? Not exactly.

 

I’ll tell you why:

 

Most of the time when people refer to farro, they mean farro medio, or emmer. Since emmer is more commonly simply referred to as farro, the answer is that spelt and farro are actually very different grains; although, they have some similarities. 

 

This is why it can be a little confusing. For the remainder of this article, when we say ‘farro,’ we are referring to the grain emmer, not the wheat family.

 

Now that we’ve cleared that up:

 

What is Farro?

 

Farro is a high-protein, two-rowed, hulled wheat. ‘Two rowed’ just means that the grain on the stalk is flat, with only two rows of grain on opposite sides.

 

 

Some scientists consider farro to be a grain created from the cross pollination of einkorn and a type of wild grass, making it a tetraploid wheat with 28 chromosomes. It is also considered by some to be the ancestor of modern wheat.

 

Farro (emmer) is classified as durum wheat. Durum is a class of wheat. There are six classes of wheat in the US: 1) hard red spring wheat, 2) soft red winter, 3) hard white, 4) soft white, 5) hard red winter, and 6) durum. Durum is the hardest of all wheat classes, and farro is classified as durum wheat. 

 

Durum is most commonly used to make pasta but it can be used to make many types of food, including breads, pastries, and flatbreads.

 

What is Spelt? 

 

Spelt is the largest grain of the three types of farro, which is why it’s also referred to as farro grande. It is a four-rowed wheat. That means that, unlike farro, it is not flat but grows rows of grain on four sides of the stalk.

 

 

There is a lot of uncertainty about the origins of spelt, as scientists are unable to determine where or when it grew wildly. Some say that it may be a combination of farro (emmer) and wild grass. That would make it a sort of distant cousin of modern wheat. 

 

Regardless, it is surely a combination of something, because it is not as simple, genetically, as other ancient grains. Spelt is a hexaploid wheat, meaning it has 42 chromosomes, the same as modern wheat, which we know has gone through a lot of hybridization.

 

Spelt is a part of the hard red winter class of wheat. Hard red winter wheats have a red bran (hence the name) and are extremely versatile and consistent. They do extremely well in breads as well as Asian style noodles. In fact, spelt was the first wheat used to make bread. Hard red winter wheat is the class of grain most widely grown in the US, and most, if not all, all-purpose flours purchased in the store are made from hard red wheat alone or in combination with other classes. 

The Origins and History of Spelt and Farro

 

Farro originated 9,000-12,000 years ago and likely gave rise to all durum wheats. There are records that indicate it was a daily staple of the Ancient Egyptians around 3,000 BC. It remained part of the Egyptian diet through the invasion of the Romans around 30 BC.

 

Here’s where it gets interesting:

 

Ancient Rome was known historically not only for the imprint that it left all over the world, but also for its tendency to adopt things from the civilisations that it occupied. Romans adopted many gods and goddesses as well as architecture from Greece, Christianity from Israel, engineering and gladiatorial combat from the Etruscans, and food from a myriad of places. One of the things that they adopted from the Egyptians was Farro. In fact, the Italian word for flour is a variant of the word ‘farro:’ farina. 

 

In most places, farro was eventually replaced in daily use by a higher yielding, easier harvested grain. However, Italy is one of few countries where farro is still widely cultivated, indicating how well farro cohered with the Roman, and later Italian, cooking style. That is at least partly because one of the most popular uses of farro flour is in the making of pasta.

 

But what about spelt? Its story follows a similar trajectory as farro.

 

Here we go:

 

Some evidence indicates that spelt was first cultivated around 3,000 BC in Mesopotamia and played a key role in ending nomadic lifestyles. However, there is also substantial evidence that it was first cultivated in Europe. 

 

Spelt is mentioned in Greek mythology, so we know it was a popular grain among the Ancient Greeks around 800 BC. The Romans invaded Greece in 149 BC. Thus, there are also records of the grain being used very widely by Romans. In fact, it was one of the grains that was cheapest and most easily accessible to all classes of Ancient Rome.

 

Spelt fell out of popularity the same as other hulled wheats, but it was still cultivated mainly in Germany and Switzerland. Immigrants brought the grain to the United States in the 1800s. 

 

Nutritional Values: Comparing the Health Benefits of Spelt and Farro

One of the main reasons people are so interested in learning about and using ancient grains is for their nutritional value. So, are farro and spelt the same, nutritionally? Or is one better than the other?

 

Consider this:

 

Spelt has more chromosomes than farro, 42 to 28. So, farro is a more primitive grain. Scientists aren’t entirely sure what all of the benefits are of eating food that is more primitive, genetically. Many indicate that ancient grains are easier on their digestive systems. So, if easier digestion is what you are after, perhaps farro is the way to go. 

 

Furthermore, research is being done that indicates that the majority of the inflammatory and immunogenic substances of wheat reside in the D chromosome–a chromosome that farro does not contain. It is possible then, that many people who have gluten or wheat allergies or intolerances could eat farro with little to no reaction. Still, we recommend proceeding with caution and under guidance from a healthcare professional.

 

Spelt and farro also both contain nutrients that help our bodies function.

 

Let’s see how:

 

Spelt is actually quite similar to modern wheat in its nutrition, but it is higher in protein with more riboflavin and niacin. Riboflavin and niacin are both B vitamins that help the body convert food into fuel. It also has higher iron (necessary for your body to produce red blood cells), magnesium (which supports muscle and nerve function), and phosphorus (essential for the health of cells as well as the building of DNA). 

 

Farro has more protein than modern wheat but not as much as spelt. It has more fiber, though, which aids in digestion. It is rich in zinc, which helps the body fight off illness. For pregnant mothers and children especially, zinc has another benefit, as it plays a big role in the development of bodies. Farro is also high in B vitamins–even higher than spelt.  

 

Although Spelt and Farro have some similarities, they do have plenty of differences–even if those differences are simply the ratio in which they contain the same nutrients.

 

Cooking Methods: How to Use Spelt and Farro in Your Recipes

Farro and spelt have very different strengths when it comes to cooking with them.

 

For instance:

 

Spelt, as mentioned previously, was the first wheat used to make bread. It has a relatively strong gluten, which gives the bread great structure as well as allowing it to rise and become sponge-like and springy. Bread, cake, pizza crusts–any baked good will do well when cooked with spelt. Here’s a great spelt breadstick recipe, if you want to try it for yourself. 

 

 

Farro, on the other hand, is not as easy to bake with. That’s why when we think of farro, we think of of eating the whole grain in a sweet or savory form. In some countries, farro is used as healthier alternative to rice.  Farro or emmer is lower in gluten and has a weaker structure, both attributes contributing to farro’s tendency to give less rise and spring–making end products a bit dense and stodgy (or heavy). Farro, as a durum wheat, is incredibly fit for use in making homemade pastas, if its widespread use in Italy is any indication. It’s also great in sweet or savory cereal recipes. Here’s a delicious pilaf recipe, if you’re curious.

 

 

 

Taste and Texture: Identifying the Differences between Spelt and Farro in Culinary Applications

 

As far as taste and texture, Spelt is by far the more popular grain between spelt vs farro. In fact, spelt tends to be more popular than any other ancient grain. Its nutty sweetness hits just the right spot for so many people. Baked goods made with spelt are fluffy and just the right amount of chewy. It acts so similar to the flour we are accustomed to, that it makes an easy, healthy alternative.

 

Farro is also delicious and has many strengths that can be utilized in the cooking process. While making baked goods with farro is definitely doable, they do end up denser than the things we are used to. However, when it is used in recipes where it doesn’t need to rise, it does extremely well. Pasta dough is required to roll out extremely thin, and many wheats’ textures are too soft to roll that thin without tearing. Farro, however, is strong enough that it can hold up even when it is thin enough to see through. Its soft, nutty flavor also pairs really well with the savory broths and seasonings used to pilafs and risottos.

Conclusion: 

So, is spelt the same as farro (emmer)? 

 

No. It is not.

 

They have some similarities, considering they are both wheats in the farro family. However, their different class and genetic makeup allow for some notable differences in nutrition as well as behavior in cooking. Spelt and farro are better suited for quite different uses, so they are both worth trying and keeping in your pantry.