The Amazing Story of Kamut: The Nearly Lost Grain
Kamut Khorasan Wheat

You couldn't make up the story of Kamut, a variety of wheat known as khorasan, if you tried. In 1949, a U.S. airman named Earl Dedman was stationed in Portugal. Dedman received 32 giant wheat kernels from a fellow airman who picked them up in Egypt, where he was told the wheat came from an Egyptian tomb (more likely it came from a street vendor in Cairo.) Dedman sent the wheat kernels to his father in Fort Benton, Montana and the family grew the grain as a novelty under the name "King Tut's Wheat" in the 1950s and '60s. A local farmer grew some of the wheat and displayed it at the Fort Benton fair in 1964.

Fast forward to 1977 when Bob Quinn, a graduate student at the University of California-Davis examined the back of a package of Corn Nuts, and read that the snack was made of giant corn kernels. This brought back memories of the huge wheat kernels he had seen long ago at the Fort Benton fair. Quinn had a light bulb moment: Perhaps the giant wheat kernel might be the next great American snack. The maker of Corn Nuts expressed interest in the giant wheat, so Quinn's father searched for the grain in Fort Benton, locating one small jar of the giant kernels that descended from Dedman's Egyptian wheat. Sadly, the snack company lost interest in the project -- but Quinn didn't. He grew the giant wheat and introduced it at the Natural Products Expo in 1986, where it became an overnight success.

Today, the Quinn family business, Kamut International, has enjoyed phenomenal growth of khorasan wheat under the trademarked name Kamut (a name from an ancient hieroglyphic dictionary.) Kamut khorasan is available as the whole grain kernel (also referred to as "berries"), quick-cooking bulgur and flour. Kamut is also included in a variety of breads, pasta, cereals, snacks, pastries, crackers, beer, grain coffee, green foods and wheat drinks. With a rich, sweet flavor, Kamut berries or bulgur can be used in a number of dishes such as soups, salads, side dishes and main dishes. The flour can be used as a substitute for all-purpose or whole-wheat flour in baking.

On closer inspection, Kamut khorasan turns out to be an ancient relative of our modern wheat staple, durum. The large wheat grain originated in the Fertile Crescent region that reached from Mesopotamia to Egypt, but it had fallen out of modern cultivation for a long period of time before its rediscovery. Though it is available in many places around the world, khorasan wheat is only commercially grown in Montana and Canada. Kamut International established high standards for the cultivation of khorasan wheat under the Kamut trademark in order to preserve its purity and to ensure that it is grown organically.

Kamut khorasan is an excellent way to boost your intake of whole grains. This ancient wheat variety is also higher in protein and many minerals than modern wheat varieties. Although it is not recommended for people with celiac disease who must avoid the gluten found in wheat, many people with wheat sensitivities report tolerating Kamut better than other wheat. Next time you're looking for an alternative to rice or potatoes, think about the amazing story of Kamut and its healthy properties.

Kamut's Nutritional Lineup

1 cup cooked

Calories: 251

Fat: 1.6 grams

Dietary Fiber: 6.7 grams

Protein: 11 grams

Iron: 3.46 milligrams (19 percent DV)

Magnesium: 96 milligrams (24 percent DV)

Phosphorus: 304 milligrams (30 percent DV)

Zinc: 3 milligrams (20 percent DV)

Copper: .43 milligrams (22 percent DV)

Manganese: 2.09 milligrams (105 percent DV)

Thiamin: .21 milligrams (14 percent DV)

Niacin: 4.73 milligrams (24 percent DV)

(DV = Daily Value)

 

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