Grain
Triticum dicoccum
C tier
Triticum dicoccum is cultivated emmer, a tetraploid hulled wheat with elongated pointed kernels, robust chew, and moderate gluten intermediate between einkorn and modern bread wheat. A cornerstone of early Near Eastern and Mediterranean agriculture, it remains central to Italian farro medio and other heritage grain systems after dehulling. Culinary use emphasises chewy whole berries in soups and salads, cracked grain, and flour for rustic breads and pasta. Rolled, soaked, and fermented emmer suits porridge and sourdough; bakers expect denser structure than strong Triticum aestivum while retaining more baking strength than many einkorn doughs.
Also known as: Farro della Garfagnana, Farro medio, Historic Nile emmer, Regional emmer landraces, Specialty organic emmer
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History
Emmer was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and became a principal Neolithic cereal.
Emmer dominated Pharaonic Egyptian bread and beer grain before free-threshing wheats rose.
Roman far (emmer) underpinned early Italian grain culture and religious offerings.
Botanical naming fixed Triticum dicoccum for cultivated emmer.
Industrial common wheat relegated emmer to mountain and traditional Mediterranean niches.
Farro revival restored Triticum dicoccum as a specialty salad, soup, and flour grain worldwide.