Small history

Because spelt grains do not thresh free of the chaff, it must be hulled before being milled. Originally from the Near East, spelt is grown particularly in the poor soils of central Europe.

History
Spelt appeared about 5000 BC south of the Caspian Sea: it's the ancestor of wheat, eaten by the Gauls. It then became established in central and northern Europe and became the grain of the Germanic peoples. However, the closing in the 19th century of the artisanal mills which had the know-how to hull it meant that spelt all but disappeared. It is still widely known in Italy under the name farro. Einkorn or "small spelt" is grown especially in Upper Provence.

Today
Spelt grows to a large extent in poor soils and in hilly regions up to 1000 meters in altitude. Spelt is a hardy plant, resistant to cold, disease and infection, and can do without fertilizer.

Spelt is a rustic grain requiring little water. Soil preparation does not require the use of herbicides.