Types of wheat and their meaning

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Wheat is one of the cereal plants. Under this name, about 15 varieties are combined, which differ from each other in various elements: grains, flowers, ear structure. To understand what types of wheat exist, one should study the biological classification of plants of this genus. This will help to understand why the division was made the way it was done, as well as to identify the key distinguishing features of each of the significant species.

Most common

The most common subspecies of wheat are soft varieties. In Latin, it is correct to call them Triticum vulgare. It is possible to distinguish the belonging of a particular plant to this species by studying the structure of the ear. It is relatively loose, the scales do not have a keel, due to which the grain is only partially closed.

Types and varieties of soft wheat varieties are distinguished, focusing on the presence of an awn: some have it, others do not. At the same time, for all those varieties that have an awn (if we are talking about soft wheat), the versatile lateral direction on the spikelets is characteristic. Already the appearance of wheat growing in the fields, without a special study, helps to determine in the plant that it belongs to awned, awnless softvarieties.

This type of wheat has 4 special features: it is a tint variety of grains, their shape, texture and stem. The plant most often does not have a core at the stem, and the colors of the grains are quite diverse: some fields are eared with a reddish glow, while others are completely white. The grains are often rounded, in the form of an oval. As for the consistency, some specific plants can be powdery and others glassy, although wheat is predominantly grown in the fields, whose grains are semi-glassy.

What else to look out for?

The soft appearance of the wheat plant is characterized by a beard. You can see it with the naked eye if you carefully examine the grain. The beard is quite thick, consisting of long hairs.

There are two types: winter wheat and spring wheat. It is believed that these irreplaceable grains came to our region from the southern, western parts of Asia. Presumably, they originally grew in the north and east of Afghanistan, in the northern Indian regions and in the mountainous area occupied today by Tajikistan. But with the development of processing methods and during the resettlement of people, the prevalence of culture has increased significantly, and today it is difficult to imagine a full-fledged human life without one of the types of wheat - no matter which one.

And which ones are hard?

Botany says that there are not only soft types of wheat, but also hard ones. These are known to scholars as "durum". The Latin name for this plant variety is Triticum durum. Distinguish the solid varietyIt's easy, you just need to study the ear. All types of durum wheat have it rather dense, supplemented (with rare exceptions) with awn. Awnless species are known to science, but are rare.

The awn of one of the types of wheat - durum - looks beautiful, at the same time it is useful for the plant itself. Long elements-hairs grow up along the ear, they seem to spread along the axis. The scales are pronounced, due to which the grain is covered with them and protected from aggressive external factors.

What else to look out for?

When looking at durum wheat, you can see that their stalks are different from the soft variety - they are not empty, but filled with a tissue called the core. The stem is not always full throughout, often only the upper part is.

Another distinguishing feature is the types of wheat grains. Usually, in hard varieties, the grains are oblong, and if they are cut in half across, they will show an angular cut. Most of the plants have vitreous grains with a beard that is almost invisible to the eye. In order to be able to see it well, you will have to increase the grain at least five times.

Beautiful, tasty and he althy

Durum wheat produces very beautiful hue. Mostly in our country, varieties are cultivated whose ripe grains become amber. In other states, varieties are common that give grain of a red tint.

Mainly durum wheat - spring. Winter crops can be grown in Transcaucasia. This is determined by the climate: therea fairly mild cold season so that selected varieties can survive. For example, it is customary to sow the variety "Appulicum".

Englishwoman "turgidum"

There is one special kind of wheat called Tritikum turgidum in Latin. But among the inhabitants it is known as English. The spike of this plant species is very similar to hard varieties, since the awn is long, noticeable, and the spikelet itself is dense, giving a square or circle in section. The grains of this species, covered with scales, are also quite characteristic, the keel immediately catches the eye.

And yet it is customary to single out English wheat in a special group. In particular, this is based on the fact that varieties are characterized not only by the classic appearance of the ear, but also by branching. Often the stems grow significantly, and inside they are filled with a special tissue. Grains in shape are ovals, close to circles, in structure, in contrast to hard varieties, farinaceous, semi-glassy prevail. It is possible to grow such spring wheat, but it is also allowed as a winter crop.

Polish Polonicum

Polonicum is a kind of wheat that spikes like rye - narrow, tall, rich in awns. Often the plant is popularly called "giant rye". At the same time, a distinctive feature of the variety is the “papery” consistency of the spike scales. Despite the similarity to rye, this wheat also resembles oats in the structure of the keel - it is very small, it is almost impossible to see without magnification.

When this type of grain begins to ear, the fieldsare filled with amber gold, but somewhat darker than that of other brothers. Polish wheat can only be grown as a spring crop. In Russia, it is cultivated in several regions near the Caucasus and in Siberia, but the plantations are small.

Dwarf wheat

In Latin, this variety is called Tritikum Compactum. The name was not given by chance, because the plant has small spikes. You look at them - and it seems as if they were squeezed. There are both rich awns and completely devoid of its species. Mostly dwarf wheat is cultivated as a winter crop.

The grain is similar to soft beans, but smaller. The qualities for the bread industry in dwarf wheat are insignificant, which affected the prevalence of this species and its use. Varieties grow in American, Asian fields. In Russia, they are grown in mountainous areas beyond the Caucasus. Quite a lot of dwarf varieties are bred in the republics of Central Asia.

Science Proven

Wheat has been known to people since ancient times, thanks to which people began to study it quite early. This has made it possible today to collect huge databases on how wheat of all types and varieties develops, grows, and bears fruit. One of the types of wheat - spelled - is even sung in the most famous Russian fairy tale, which to this day in many schools children learn by heart, at least in fragments.

Wheat attracted the attention of breeders in the era of the Soviet Union. It was then that it was officially possible to deduce that over time, wheat plantings change. Under the influence of conditionsenvironment, the plant gradually mutates from one species to another. This is how it turned out from hard to bring out soft varieties of wheat. In addition, the experiments of transferring between winter and spring forms back and forth are considered successful.

Spelled: what is it about?

Since we are talking about the old Russian folk tales, which mention the main dishes and products of the cuisine, traditional for the old times, it is necessary to mention that one of the types of wheat is spelled. A distinctive feature of this category is revealed during grinding, when the spike core, unlike real wheat, breaks and is divided into parts. Separate grains, previously hidden in the film of flowers, are released from the holding layer and fall out, which allows them to be processed further.

A product so common in the past has lost its former popularity these days. Spelled is quite actively cultivated in Chuvashia, Bashkiria, Tatarstan and several neighboring areas, but this is incomparable with the volumes previously produced in the country. Spelled is valued due to the fact that the film protects grain during dry winds, which do not spare other varieties of cereals. At the same time, the quality indicators of grain are rather low. Spelled is suitable for the production of crushed cereals. By the way, have you seen the question “type of wheat, 7 letters” in crossword puzzles? And they asked here exactly about spelled, or rather, about one of its varieties. Which? Read more about this.

What do we grow?

Wheat, known to modern botany, mainly have two forms -winter, spring. However, there are those who have only one variety. In addition to the division into these two options, there is a division into varieties. There are selective, economic ones. If you take a certain variety and study the varieties characteristic of it, you will notice: the botanical features are similar so that there are no differences.

At the same time, there is a difference in the amount of crops harvested and in how easily the plant is susceptible to infection by fungi. Distinctive features will be the duration of the period from sowing to harvesting, the qualities shown by grain during processing and baking of the finished product. When considering winter species, they are evaluated by their resistance to cold. But for spring crops, the key indicator will be the ability to survive in a drought.

Breeders way

In order for breeders to work effectively, special stations are equipped for them. Under conditions optimized for this, so-called breeding varieties can be bred. This is usually achieved by crossing varieties. It is not necessary to derive something from two types of one plant, you can try to create a hybrid of two different ones. Science knows successful cases of crossing wheat with rye and wheatgrass. In addition, breeders select varieties and individual plants - either in bulk or individually.

Modern breeders are still working on the basis of the theory developed in the Soviet years by the famous scientist Michurin. The results are surprisingly good: varieties were bred that are resistant to negative factors, at the same time give a largeharvest and are not particularly demanding on conditions. Academician Lysenko especially distinguished himself in his work with wheat, proving that with the right influence on the plant at certain time intervals, it is possible to change the very nature of wheat. This means that winter crops can be turned into spring crops, and if necessary, reverse transformation can be performed.

Unable to overestimate

It's hard to imagine our life without bakery products. Now you can’t even imagine how people guessed that grain can be processed and cooked from it, but over time, it was this guess that became the one that shaped the food culture on the entire planet. But what can I say, is it only reflected in nutrition? Today, wheat is mentioned everywhere and everywhere - in books, films, it is photographed, depicted in paintings, mentioned in songs and poems. By the way, do you know the answer to the classic crossword question “type of wheat 7 letters”? The correct option is “spelt”.

Wheat can rightly be ranked among the most important crops around the world. It is used to make flour, cereals, and this gives us flour, confectionery goodies and hearty pasta. Vodka, beer - they all make it on wheat.

You are what you eat

This slogan has frankly become boring to many in recent years, and it does not reflect the real essence, but it sounds beautiful, this cannot be taken away. In any case, it will not be superfluous to know what we eat - at least in order to choose the best for ourselves. And what is the best thing in the world of wheat? In recent years, a realhysteria for hard varieties. Absolutely everything is made of them, and the larger they write about the variety on the package, the more expensive they will be charged from the buyer. But why exactly were hard species on the wave?

Hard varieties are rich in proteins, carotenoids. The latter explains the shade of both the grains and the flour made from them - it has a creamy tint. The flour itself is quite coarse, which is explained by the hardness of the feedstock. This is one of the factors that allows us to talk about high quality gluten, thanks to which the dough turns out to be elastic and elastic. Such raw materials are indispensable for the preparation of high-quality pasta, semolina and a number of other food products. Usually, on the packaging of products made from durum wheat, one can name indications: “durum”, “di grano duro”.

And if soft?

In such wheat, the protein concentration is not so high, which affects the quality of the final product. Starch grains in ground flour are large, and it is white, small, crumbles. This raw material should be used when making biscuits and various exquisite confectionery creations. Soft flour is indispensable if you have to cook cakes, cakes.

Gluten: what is it all about?

Everyone knows the word, but not every average person can explain it. So what is it? In ordinary wheat there is gluadin, glutenin. It is from them that gluten is formed. Protein has certain quality indicators that are significant for humans. According to them, flour is selected for specific purposes. When it comes into contact with water, the quality of the glutendetermines whether the result is elastic.

Quite a few people know they are allergic to gluten. This is not surprising, the protein is really such that not every human body can cope with it. In recent years, cases of gluten intolerance have been recorded with increasing frequency. It is strictly not recommended that gluten get into the food that babies are fed - in young children, the gastrointestinal tract is too weak to cope with protein. Usually, gluten is added to other foods not earlier than the 8th month, often much later. So, semolina, so beloved by many since childhood, cannot be eaten at the age of one year.

Groats

Durum wheat is in most cases used to make cereals. The grains are ground quite large, removing all shells and germs during processing. It is customary to distinguish different types, numbers of wheat groats. The subdivision is based on processing method, grain criteria:

• size;
• shape.

More often on sale are bright yellow wheat groats. This color is due to the fact that the product is made from spring wheat. But you can also find a grayish shade that has a much less appetizing shade. The color means it was harvested from winter wheat.

Any durum wheat is a storehouse of proteins, and food made from it allows you to recharge your energy immediately and for a long time. Such dishes are highly appreciated by those who lead an active life, move a lot, work hard. In an adult who is not gluten intolerant,durum wheat dishes are digested quickly and easily, they can be included in the menu with many diets. In order not to eat pasta, allow yourself cereals, side dishes.

Types of wheat: bulgur

Bulgur is produced mainly from durum varieties. The process is as follows: the grain is collected, steamed using a special technology, dried in sunlight, cleaned, and ground. Of course, this original technique, known for a long time, is rarely used today, much more often drying is done by technical methods, which slightly lowers the quality of the product and the taste properties of dishes made from it.

Since the grains were already steamed at the stage of production, they do not need to be cooked for a long time in the future. At the same time, such products are rich in vitamins that do not disappear during the cooking process. Bulgur is indispensable for pilafs, salads and soups. But remember: it is rich in gluten, so you should not eat it with a protein allergy.

Ode to Bulguru

This type of wheat product came to the European part of Russia and the northern regions of the country relatively recently, for many it is still considered a delicacy, still untested. And it's worth a try. In addition to a rich, rich pleasant taste, this cereal has a unique aroma - reminiscent of nuts.

In order for bulgur to fully reveal its taste and aromatic features, before cooking, you need to calcine it in a small amount of oil in a wok pan. Any oil is taken: vegetable, olive, ghee, butter. It is believed that the latter option is the best. It is drowned, unwashed bulgur is poured in, fried until the aroma of nuts creeps through the kitchen. Smell? Excellent, the procedure smoothly proceeds to the next stage - pour the rest of the products into the pan according to the intended recipe and cook everything further as they are used to doing. Bulgur is suitable for all kinds of dishes, so you can experiment and fantasize with wheat endlessly.