Kamut, also known as Khorasan wheat (khorassan), is one of the oldest grains. The kernels of this ancient grain are almost twice as large as those of conventional wheat. When cooked, the mild, slightly nutty taste of kamut goes well with many dishes.
Culinary uses:
Cooked kamut berries make a great side dish served alongside vegetables or used as the base for a salad. Soak the kamut overnight before cooking and then discard the soaking water afterwards. Similar to spelt or wheat, Khorasan wheat flour is ideal for baking as it makes a dough that is elastic and holds together well. Kamut bread stays fresh for a long time. Similar to durum wheat, kamut is particularly suitable for the production of pasta. Kamut flakes also make for a great addition to your daily muesli.
Not only should vegans and vegetarians read this: A vegan diet can be unhealthy. Nutrition mistakes. |
Purchasing - where to buy?
Kamut (Khorasan wheat) is becoming increasingly popular. In comparison to wheat, it has not been hybridized to increase yield and has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Almost every organic shop, health food store, and well-stocked supermarket sells kamut wheat berries, kamut semolina, and/or kamut flour. In Europe, most kamut products on the market are organic.
Preparation:
Soak kamut overnight in 2–2.5 times the amount of unsalted water. Cook for 30–45 minutes the next day. Let sit for another 30–60 minutes before serving.If you cook too much at once, you can store the cooked kamut in the refrigerator and eat the following day. However, it is always better to prepare dishes fresh. Whole, crushed, or ground kamut should be stored like conventional grains — preferably in a dry, cool place and protected from light.Health aspects:
Nutritional information:
Kamut contains more protein, unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals than other wheat varieties. It is also rich in vitamins E, B2, B5, B6, and folic acid. In addition, this ancient grain contains magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. The trace element selenium keeps skin and hair healthy.Health aspects:Cooked or raw, kamut is particularly rich in polyphenol compounds. The polyphenols found in kamut have antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties.
People with a gluten sensitivity (nonallergic and nonautoimmune gluten-related dysfunction) often tolerate kamut better than other wheat varieties. Many people react to wheat because they have a wheat allergy and not because of a gluten intolerance, which is often mistakenly assumed as the cause. Today, it is well known that gluten intolerance is linked to the breeding and genetic engineering of modern cereal and grain varieties. Conventional wheat has been greatly modified in recent years to increase yields and improve resistance.
Over time, wheat has not only lost its original protein structure, but now also contains new artificial genes that make it resistant to predators. It is therefore no surprise that modern wheat — which contains significantly more genes than ancient grains — causes an increased sensitivity in those who eat it.
Kamut berries also contain a high percentage of fiber. Regular fiber intake and sufficient fluids keep the intestines healthy.
Cultivation and harvest:
Dangers/Intolerances:
Origins:
Dangers/Intolerances:Like all types of wheat, kamut contains gluten, but in a different form than in conventional wheat. People with a gluten intolerance (celiac disease) must take this into consideration. Some people who normally don’t tolerate foods well that contain gluten don’t have any problems digesting kamut. However, it always depends on the severity of the gluten intolerance. In the case of a very severe intolerance or allergies, it is best not to experiment with kamut.The exact origin of kamut is unclear. It is thought that the Ancient Egyptians were the first to cultivate kamut. However, modern DNA analysis has shown that the real home of Khorasan wheat, as its name suggests, is the Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran. Local cultivation areas have included the Fertile Crescent (Egypt, Levant, Anatolia, Iraq, and Iran) and the Caucasus Mountain region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Dagestan).Cultivation and harvest:Like einkorn and emmer wheat varieties, Khorasan wheat is one of the oldest cultivated grains; in fact, it has been cultivated for about 6,000 years. Although the yields of ancient grains are lower, they are easier to grow and less susceptible to diseases and pests. The average yield is 12 dt/ha. The maximum yield of conventional wheat is 10 times higher.
After the rediscovery of Khorasan wheat in the United States, in 1987 a farmer named Robert Quinn registered it under the ancient Egyptian word kamut (“soul of the earth”) for Kamut International, Ltd. In 1990, the American Department of Agriculture officially recognized Kamut as a “new variety.” Today, kamut is mainly cultivated in North America and Southern Europe.3
General information:
Khorasan wheat (Triticum turgidum x polonicum), an old variety of spring wheat, originated from natural hybrids of durum wheat (Triticum durum) and a wild form of wheat (Triticum polonicum).1 Botanically speaking, kamut (khorassan, khorasan) belongs to the grass (Poaceae) family as do all other grains.
Kamut has many different botanical names. Homotypic synonyms include the following: Triticum turgidum subsp. turanicum (Jakubz.) Á.Löve (1961), Gigachilon polonicum subsp. turanicum (Jakubz.) Á.Löve (1984), and Triticum durum subsp. turanicum (Jakubz.) L.B.Cai. (1991). Heterotypic synonyms: Triticum orientale Percival, Triticum percivalii E. Schiem., Triticum percivalianum Parodi, and Triticum turanicum var. quasinotabile Udachin & Potokina.2
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 132 kcal 552 kJ | 6.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 0.83 g | 1.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 0.08 g | 0.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 28 g | 10.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 3.1 g | 3.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 4.3 g | 17.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 5.7 g | 11.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:8.0 mg) | 20 mg | 0.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Min | Selenium, Se | 32 µg | 58.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 1.0 mg | 52.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 147 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.05 g | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.21 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Prot | Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.30 g | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Prot | Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.43 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Prot | Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.17 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Min | Zinc, Zn | 1.8 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Prot | Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.22 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.05 g | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.30 g | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.17 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.22 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.43 g | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.27 g | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.10 g | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.16 g | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 2.3 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.10 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 11 µg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.07 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.03 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 0.24 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 0.20 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Phosphorus, P | 147 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 48 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Potassium, K | 164 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 9.0 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 8.0 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Selenium, Se | 32 µg | 58.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Manganese, Mn | 1.0 mg | 52.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Copper, Cu | 0.21 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 1.8 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Iron, Fe | 1.8 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Literature - Sources:
- Khlestkina EK, Röder MS, Grausgruber H, Börner A. A DNA fingerprinting-based taxonomic allocation of Kamut wheat. Plant Genetic Resources. Mar.2007;4(3). doi:10.1079/PGR2006120.
- Clayton WD, Govaerts R, Harman KT, Williamson H, Vorontsova M. Royal Botanic Gardens Kewscience. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Accessed on December 6, 2018.
- Wikipedia (German language). Khorasan wheat.
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