Few people know this but the correct term is “Khorasan wheat”, while “Kamut»Is the name of the only official brand with a registered trademark that imports and protects it from the United States to Italy: it is a very nutritious ancient grain and healthy, which is now growing thanks to biodynamics and cutting-edge technologies.
Strengthened by a wonderful thematic trip to Trentino, we can explain well what khorasan really is and how to use it. Here are a couple of very important things to know: unlike what many believe, this grain it is not gluten-free and it is therefore not indicated if you are celiac; in Italy, 100% pure khorasan wheat is managed and distributed only from Kamut brand (one of the landmarks for Kamut is the Meraner Muhle just outside Merano – BZ); she has a fascinating history, linked to a farsighted and tenacious man like few others.
Khorasan was born millions of years ago in the Fertile Crescent and as anticipated it is one of the “ancient grains” that is pure, not conditioned by man. To grow it needs some conditions including large selenium-rich young soils, and has found a home in Montana (USA). In this place the soil is perfect and this grain is happy, looked after by a father who believed in him and in his power. Let’s talk about Bob Quinn, forerunner in the struggle for organic farming and respect for the land and its fruits.
Khorasan comes to us in beans, in places that embrace the Quinn-Kamut philosophy and put their own in checks, research, development. Molino Merano is one of these centers in Italy: the magic spreads from here too, which is also conquering doctors and nutritionists.
The reason? In reality there would be a lot of them. First of all, it is a fact that the percentage of khorasan gluten is lower and less impacting on our organism (digestion, assimilation, intestine). It also has a unique sensory nutraceutical and phytochemical profile compared to modern grains, the result of selections and adaptations for the production of industrial food. Contains many carotenoids including lutein, and others bioactive substances. Khorasan has been (and is constantly) studied by Kamut, who sets in motion a wealth of studies both in vitro and in vivo: it improves good bacterial growth in the intestinesand if consumed instead of modern wheat, gluten tolerability is improved and suffering is alleviated in the case of diseases such as irritable bowel (these are the results obtained from a field research, with the involvement of athletes, healthy people and people with various pathologies including intestinal ones).
In the kitchen you can use instead of any other cereal with gluten that you usually use: you can find khorasan as a flour, as a grain, you can find it as a pasta in many shapes, use it for cakes and desserts, bread. It is really worth knowing this special grain, and delving into how much it could improve our health in the kitchen!
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Westend611/5Appearance and taste of khorasan
There is a specific reason why khorasan is grown in the United States and not here or in the Fertile Crescent: it needs a lot of selenium, which is found in young and under-used soils … Europe and Crescent have been “used” for millennia. In addition, they no longer offer large free spaces. Montana has endless kilometers of virgin soil, rich in selenium, with an ideal climate and above all deep enough to allow the Khorasan to sink with its long roots. This grain has much taller stems and larger and elongated grains: they are also more yellow, due to the massive presence of carotenoids. It has a more intense flavor than the wheat we are used to.
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nito1002/5An incredible bread
At Molino Merano they explained to us that such a grain, with a less elastic and less irritating gluten, is highly valued in the long leavening with mother yeast (both fresh and dried). Seeing is believing: we tasted a Kamut leavened product and it is really a new experience.
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dulezidar3/5The khorasan paste
As we said, pay attention: the only pure and organically treated khorasan wheat (not cut with other grains) is the Kamut brand one, a name that cannot be used inappropriately and – if present – must be ascertained through the R registered trademark. If you read “khorasan” in the ingredients list, ask for more info: is it pure? Where is he from? You may wonder what the difference is between khorasan Kamut pasta and wholemeal pasta, which everyone recommends: the fact is that even the best wholemeal pasta still comes from modern grains that are impoverished for the industry. When it comes to fiber, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory properties, khorasan is scientifically better.
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ReDunnLev4/5Panbrioches, plumcakes and cakes
At Molino Merano they made us taste a panbrioches that we will hardly forget: soft, with a spiral of black sesame paste in the center. The dough was buttery and soft, particular even after hours in the bag … it was made with khorasan Kamut flour and mother yeast. A demonstration that this grain can be transformed into desserts, even those for breakfast which we are so fond of.
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LSP19825/5The khorasan pizza
Same goes for pasta: if you read “Kamut dough” in a pizzeria, make sure it is really Kamut brand khorasan flour, and not the common mistake of using that name inappropriately. If in doubt, try making it at home following your recipe: a golden colored dough will come out, particularly crunchy on the cornice and an intense flavor that will better embrace tomato, mozzarella and other condiments. Definitely a more satisfying pizza!
Source: Vanity Fair
