Ancient grains have remained authentic and original, they have not undergone any modification by man to increase their yield, exactly like Senatore Cappelli and Khorasan. These grains are of superior quality compared to modern grains and should be preferred for several reasons:


– Healthier and more genuine products: not having undergone genetic alterations, they maintain a lower yield and are not processed at intensive levels, guaranteeing more natural results – Stone-processed grains: ancient grains are usually stone-processed, producing less refined flours that maintain all the nutritional characteristics of the grain – Lower presence of gluten: ancient grains maintain a balanced ratio between starch and gluten, making them more digestible and limiting the development of intolerances – More artisanal and less industrial products: ancient grains are usually grown and processed with artisanal methods and allow you to track the production chain and protect biodiversity – Tastier products: ancient grains, especially if whole or semi-whole, always have intense aromas and a rich flavor that are lost during the industrial processing of modern grains.

Khorasan (Saragolla)

Saragolla wheat is considered the ancestor of all modern durum wheat; it is a wheat with a long caryopsis (grain), bright yellow and slightly amber in color. Its name derives from the Hungarian Sarga (yellow) and golyo (seed): literally yellow grain. This cultivar, belonging to the same family as Khorasan (better known in Italy with the Kamut® brand), and more precisely to the Triticum Turgidum Durum species, was introduced to Abruzzo by the Altzec populations, of proto-Bulgarian origin, who arrived in this part of Italy in 400 AD. From this region, thanks to the particularity of its intense yellow scented flour, it soon spread to all the central eastern regions of the Peninsula, such as Puglia. Numerous historical documents attest to how some varieties of Saragolla wheat were highly appreciated since the Middle Ages. However, starting from the end of the 18th century, a period of oblivion began for this grain, mainly due to two factors: colonial conquests and population growth which, together, favored the importation of durum wheat from North Africa and the Middle East. The cultivation of Saragolla managed to survive thanks to the work of “mass selection” carried out by small Abruzzo farms, which consisted of preserving the best grains of the harvest for sowing the following year.


nutritional characteristics


The Saragolla wheat grain is rich in vegetable proteins, lipids, mineral salts. Despite its high protein content, Saragolla has a very low gluten concentration: for this reason it is more digestible than the more common soft wheat and its organoleptic properties are exceptional. From its flour a fragrant and fragrant bread is produced. The pasta produced in purity, that is with only Saragolla wheat, is distinguished by its characteristic yellow color and has an excellent cooking resistance and a spicy and intense flavor. Its use in the kitchen is very versatile as it adapts very well to both rustic and more refined preparations. Currently Saragolla survives only in certain areas of Abruzzo, Sannio and Lucania, thanks to the work of individual farmers who have continued to sow it. Saragolla is an early-cycle, hard and amber wheat and has a stem up to 180 cm high. Its caryopsis, that is, the seed casing, is naked and elongated more than that of any other wheat and its flour is intense yellow. Compared to other types of wheat, it is much more resistant to parasites and therefore lends itself very well to organic farming.


Why it’s so good?


Saragolla wheat, like all those of the khorasan family, is nutritious, healthy and highly digestible. It is particularly appreciated by those intolerant to common wheat products for its low amount of gluten (it is not gluten-free, so it is not suitable for celiacs). On the contrary, it has a high content of selenium and beta carotene, excellent antioxidants. Recently, a team of researchers from the University of Florence in collaboration with the Careggi University Hospital found that consuming khorasan-based products reduces cardiovascular risk factors such as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as being less harmful to the intestinal system. More reasons to put Saragolla wheat on the table: a healthy, tasty and zero-mile choice. The simple structure of its gluten, never hybridized, makes it organoleptically digestible to make it an exceptional raw material for the production of pasta. It is clearly an ancient seed that lends itself to organic farming, as it resists weeds very well. This is also due to the fact that, in the past, fertilization was not done or was done only with organic fertilizer. As a result, wheat has developed such rusticity and strength that it does not require particular chemical treatments to grow and survive. Furthermore, it has not been genetically modified, so it is 100% authentic.

Kamut®:

Many believe that Kamut® is a variety of wheat of superior quality to traditional wheat in terms of energy and mineral content. Kamut is actually the name of an American company that in 1989, with a clever marketing operation, placed its hat on the turanicum subspecies of the khorasan variety (Triticum turgidum), named after the region of Iran where it was discovered. Khorasan is in fact a specific variety, which contains 12 to 18% protein, is rich in selenium, magnesium and zinc and has a more destructured gluten and therefore more digestible. It has been cultivated for centuries in Anatolia, Egypt (it was also known as “Pharaoh’s wheat” and the founder of Kamut took its name from the sound of a hieroglyph) and in Mesopotamia.

senatore Cappelli

Senatore Cappelli durum wheat is one of the most loved and widespread grains in Italy, which has remained authentic and unchanged since its birth in 1915. Today it is particularly appreciated thanks to its nutritional characteristics that have remained unchanged over time, a particularly high protein content and a rich and full-bodied flavor. But how did this highly prized cereal come into being? It all began at the beginning of the 20th century, when the demand for wheat increased and new varieties began to be sought to improve yield and nutritional intake. In this climate, the Marquis Raffaele Cappelli, senator and promoter of the agrarian reform that led to the distinction between hard and soft wheat, granted the agronomist Nazareno Strampelli a plot of land near Foggia in which to carry out experimental sowing. Strampelli had been engaged for years in the search for the perfect wheat and had already created new varieties of soft wheat by crossing different varieties from all over the world. Continuing his research and moving on to durum wheat to obtain more productive and disease-resistant varieties, Strampelli arrived in 1915 at the creation of durum wheat to which he gave the name Senatore Cappelli.

Born from the cross between a Tunisian variety, Jenah Rhetifah, and other varieties of wheat, Senatore Cappelli durum wheat immediately demonstrated its qualities, so much so that in the 1930s and 1940s it was defined as an “electable breed” and for decades it was confirmed as the most widespread crop in Italy, especially in Basilicata and Puglia. In the following years, however, Cappelli wheat was in turn replaced by more productive plantations, often obtained through genetic mutations induced by researchers. Senatore Cappelli durum wheat has today become a niche product particularly used for fine and organic flours.


Senatore Cappelli durum wheat is easily recognizable: the plant can reach 180 cm, has the typical arista (black filaments at the top of many grasses) and can only be grown organically because fertilization and herbicides would make it bend and break. The presence of very deep roots allows this wheat to resist weeds and to draw nourishment from the deepest layers of the soil, those richest in nutrients.

Senatore Cappelli grains are particularly hard and allow you to make a pasta that holds up particularly well to cooking, remaining al dente. Appreciated for its intense and decisive flavor, Senatore Cappelli durum wheat flour has very valuable nutritional properties, so much so that it is called “the meat of the poor”. Compared to modern grain flours, it contains higher percentages of proteins, amino acids, lipids, B vitamins, vitamin E and mineral salts.

It also has a very low level of gluten, which makes it more easily digestible and has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to the presence of flavonoids and antioxidants that reduce intestinal problems and gluten intolerance. Finally, the amount of calories, slightly lower than that of other grains, helps keep cholesterol under control.

After the Second World War, the possibility of producing low-cost nitrogen fertilizers stimulated the creation of varieties capable of enhancing the administration of increasing quantities of nitrogen. Furthermore, the increased availability of herbicides made it possible to overcome the lower competitiveness of low plants against weeds. In the following years (from 1950 to 1960), genetic improvement was therefore mainly oriented towards increasing yield, reducing height, increasing precocity (so as not to suffer damage during the period of seasonal drought in late spring that coincides with earing), with little attention to the qualitative characteristics of the grain.

(…Summary from various online articles…)