Is there some new foodie fad happening with “ancient grains”? A bunch of stuff at the grocery store has suddenly been given “ancient grains” labels. I’ve been buying this stuff for years, and suddenly it’s all ancient grains. And I’m not as old as to believe that the food has become ancient together with me.
I even saw “ancient grains” eclairs today. It seems a tad off-putting to see the word “ancient” attached to such a highly perishable food.
Gosh, people are so weird.
Is this stuff like spelt?
It was revived in Poland a few years ago (I heard it had died out but they found some in the Czech Republic to get it started again). I love bread from spelt (spelt flakes, like oatmeal, were a little less of a hit).
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I think it’s different kinds of quinoa, freekeh, that kind of thing. I’m not sure I know spelt.
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From wikipedia:
“Ancient grains are a grouping of grains and pseudocereals that are considered to have been little changed by selective breeding over recent millennia, as opposed to more widespread cereals such as corn, rice and modern varieties of wheat, which are the product of thousands of years of selective breeding. Ancient grains are often marketed as being healthier than modern grains, though their health benefits have been disputed by some nutritionists.”
Marketing gimmick, obviously, and has been going on for a while. Maybe a nod to the ‘paleo’ people who sincerely believe all the secrets to health lie in the habits of human beings who had a life expectancy of 30 years.
I eat many of these for their taste, not because they’re considered ancient. I could live on injera alone (made from teff).
Also, many of these grains are gluten-free, which might have something to do with their current popularity.
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“I even saw “ancient grains” eclairs today. It seems a tad off-putting to see the word “ancient” attached to such a highly perishable food. ”
I’m sure US candy manufacturers pump enough chemicals in their products to survive a nuclear apocalypse. This is one instance of truth in advertising, I’d say, haha.
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