Re-emergence

The re-emergence of wild wheats and ancient grains has seen a resumption of the debate about whether these lost staples should be classified as ancient, heirloom or landrace. The terms differ significantly in meaning between culinary historians, agriculturalists, millers and bakers, however, the definitions relating to the botanical explanation of grains, taken from the Collins English Dictionary, are as follows, with each claiming their place in the current revival:

• Ancient: belonging to the distant past, preceding the period in history before the fall of the Roman Empire, circa 1453
• Heirloom: old cultivars, unchanged over the past 50-100 years, post World War II, 1945, handed down through the generations
• Landrace: primitive pre-hybrid grains, that have adapted to their environmental conditions over time