For being so common in certain parts of the world, actually little is known about rye’s origin.
Rye has been found in archeological sites from as early as 11,700 years ago. However, there is some controversy. The small amounts of the grain suggest to some that it was a wild variety and was not being cultivated at that time.
There is an especially controversial finding from an archeological site in Syria called Abu Hereya. Some think there is evidence that the rye there was domesticated, but others are quick to point out the problems with that theory. If it turned out to be true, it would change all we know about the domestication of cereal grains. Still, it has led some to believe that rye was the very first cultivated cereal grain.
Rye is closely related to wheat and barley, and it appears that it was first manifest in human diet as a weed that had been mixed with wheat or barley. Something very interesting is that wild rye and domesticated rye are almost identical. This is quite different from what happens when most grains are domesticated.
History shows that as a cereal grains gets domesticated, it changes in specific ways that the humans are selecting for (like yield, or, in the case of einkorn the property of staying on the stock instead of being blown off by the wind). Rye, though, seems to have gone from being a wild plant to a weed. And it’s evolution was not purposeful. It’s almost like humans accidentally brought it on the evolutionary journey with barley and wheat.
For this reason, it’s difficult to pin down its history. In archeological sites, it’s hard to distinguish if what we’re seeing is domesticated or wild.
With that in mind, the most commonly accepted origin of domesticated rye is south central Turkey around 6600B.C.
As wheat and barley began to spread to what is now Germany and areas near the black sea, rye came along for the ride. BUT rye performed better in these harsh climates, eventually leading to its popularity in those parts of Europe.
Rye is still not nearly as popular as wheat. It’s production is about 3% of wheat’s in the world. But in countries like Russia, Germany, and Poland, dense rye bread is common. It’s also commonly used in alcoholic beverages such as beer and whiskey.
Rye has an impressive nutrient profile that makes it worth learning how to use this ancient grains in today’s everyday life
My questions about rye: What makes black bread, black. A recipe I have says to soak 4 cups groats overnight, next day mix and knead in 3/4 cup rye flour. Would this work? Would the groats breakup?
Hi Isabel, I haven’t made black bread but this is what I read when I looked it up: “Black bread gets its dark color primarily from being made with a high proportion of dark rye flour, which naturally has a darker hue, and sometimes additional ingredients like molasses or even activated charcoal that contribute to the deep black color.” I hope that helps!
do you grow organic grains?
Hi Gladis!
Yes, all of our grains are grown organically.
like to learn more about other grains.
So any Rye that is grown in the world now is considered ANCIENT? I am looking for rye that is not only low on gluten as all rye is in general, but also has not been modified in terms of gluten and stayed ancient in that way
Yes, rye is considered an ancient grain because it has been largely unchanged for thousands of years. It has not been hybridized to increase gluten the way modern wheat has.