Appears in
On Food and Cooking

By Harold McGee

Published 2004

  • About

Kamut is the registered trademark for an ancient relative of durum wheat, a subspecies of T. turgidum. The modern production and commercialization of kamut (Egyptian for “wheat”) began after World War II, when seeds said to have been collected in Egypt were planted in Montana. It’s characterized by a large grain size and a high protein content, though its gluten is better suited to pasta than to raised breads.