Centuries ago, enjoying and accessing heirloom grains was as easy as breaking bread or wandering through an open field. Grain was central not only to sustenance, but also to purpose: Its immense variety was a daily reminder of our planet’s abundance and the connections to life, memory and culture.
From kamut to quinoa, ancient grains have passed in and out of favour through centuries of celebration and obscurity. Nature’s original creations, they’ve been content to gain root wherever man or bird has chosen to plant them, with apparent confidence they would be milled, baked and valued once again.
That time has come. Today, increasing numbers of consumers are focused on finding forgotten treasures of amaranth, emmer, maize, and more. These non-hybridized, genuine ancient grains not only restore purity to diets, but are packed with nutrients and fibre as well.
Informed consumers are seeking the truth about their food, and discovering the richness of ancient grains. Directed by no one in particular, it’s a movement that draws its collective power from idealism, conscience and that age-old impulse: the quest to gather a truly authentic meal.
Karen McCleave is one such consumer. A former assistant crown attorney from the Greater Toronto area, Karen McCleave is also a connoisseur of pure food, an enthusiastic cook and an eager visitor to local farmers markets wherever she travels.
Learning about ancient grains is a bit like tracing a family genealogy, says McCleave. The origin of teff, for example, can be traced all the way back to ancient Ethiopia. Amaranth is a variety that was central to the diet of civilizations as diverse as the Aztecs and ancient Greeks.
Red Fife has a more modern history, having been brought to Canada from Scotland nearly two centuries ago. The Canadian Encyclopedia tells the story: “Red Fife is Canada’s oldest wheat. One legend states that a load of wheat grown in Ukraine was on a ship in the Glasgow harbour. A friend of Farmer Fife dropped his hat into the red-coloured wheat, collecting a few seeds in the hatband, which he then shipped off to Farmer Fife. The wheat grew. The family cow managed to eat all the wheat heads except for one, which Mrs. Fife salvaged. This was the beginning of Red Fife wheat in Canada.”
Red Fife flourished on the Canadian prairie for the next several decades, until agribusinesses began hybridizing grains to increase yields and resist disease. Eventually, local flour mills began to close, as conglomerates bought up land and consolidated storage and distribution. Grain that had once typically been grown and ground close to home became a mass commodity, and consumers lost the flavours and textures of these heirloom grains.
But that is changing, and Red Fife is one of the grains leading the way. Organic farmers are at the vanguard, planting this storied grain, along with farro, millet, amaranth, buckwheat and sorghum, instead of modern varieties or other crops such as alfalfa.
Chefs are also doing their part. At some of the best restaurants, menus are becoming manifestos for the movement, parchment declarations with long-forgotten words drawn in cursive with a flourish: emmer, amaranth, kamut, spelt, flax and teff.
“Ancient grains engage all the senses,” explains Karen McCleave. “They intrigue us with their histories, give us incredible varieties of tastes and textures, and challenge us to create new recipes.”
“Every part of the journey is thrilling, beginning with the moment you find a rare grain at a market, or learn about a farmer growing an heirloom grain far off the beaten path. The adventure continues in the kitchen, where you can imagine you are reviving a long-lost art, baking with purity and purpose. The real reward comes when you slice into a warm loaf of bread, or sample a spectacular savory dish that you’ve just created. After the first taste, you won’t be looking back!”
