Wheat was one of the first grains cultivated by humans, during the Neolithic Age, about 11,000 years ago. Bread wheat was growing in the Nile Valley by 5000 BC, in China by 2500 BC and in England by 2000 BC. Mythological references to wheat usually recount the providing of food magically and in abundance. Triptolemus, whom Plato called "the minister of the gifts of Demeter" was given wheat seeds by Demeter and an order to sow them from the air, using a one-wheeled chariot that she'd made herself, drawn by a winged dragon. And Dionysus, the god of wine, had three granddaughters - Oeno (wine), Spermo (wheat) and Elais (olive oil) - whom he empowered with the ability to change water to wine, grass to wheat and berries to olives, so that no one would have to starve. They were also charged with stocking the fleet heading out to war with Troy. Agamemnon was so impressed that he wanted to abduct them, but Dionysus saved them by turning them into doves.
Wheat varieties include hard wheat that has a high amount of protein in the kernel, excellent for developing strong gluten strands, so therefore good for use in yeast-leavened breads. Soft wheat has a low amount of protein in the kernel, so it does not develop gluten as well as hard wheat, making it better for delicate, tender baked goods, such as cakes. Durum is a very hard wheat, with high gluten used mostly in making semolina, from the Latin durus, meaning "hard." The wheat endosperm is the interior layer of a kernel of grain, inside the outer covering of bran and surrounding the germ in the center. The endosperm is rich in starch and protein, but not high in vitamins and minerals. All-purpose flour is ground from the endosperm of wheat kernels and does not contain the germ or the bran. Wheat gluten is the starch element of wheat, also known as essential or vital gluten, which is extracted from the wheat during a washing and rinsing process and used mainly as an additive to dough. Wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel and is very high in carbohydrates, calcium and fiber. Wheat germ is the isolated highly nutritious core, or germ, of the grain, rich in minerals, vitamins and protein, with a pleasant nutty taste. Because it has a high oil content that causes it to go rancid quickly, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Cracked wheat is whole wheat grains that are crushed into coarse fragments.
The world's output of wheat is staggering: (in millions of tons) China, 112; India, 65; U.S., 62; Russian Federation, 36; France, 33; Canada, 26. See also Boulang, bread, cereal, flour, kamut, wheat berry, wheat gluten.
From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
