Your Ultimate Guide to Ancient Grains

More than ever, consumers are looking for products that are as close as possible to their natural form. For this reason, ancient grain products, including bread, pasta, and baked goods, are gaining in popularity. To reflect the desires of your customers and to support your goal of creating flavourful and nutrient-dense foods, using sprouted ancient grain ingredients is ideal.

At Everspring Farms, we understand that sourcing bulk ancient grains and ancient grain flour can be challenging. We proudly provide our customers with sprouted ancient grain ingredients. As everything from sprouting to milling is done on-site, we can ensure consistent results and improved nutrient density to help you optimize your products. In this post, we explore the world of ancient grains to help you identify what they are and how you can utilize them in your products. Learn more about ancient grains and let us show you how we can help you build better products with wholesale ancient grains.

What are Ancient Grains?

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of ancient grains and may even be familiar with some ancient grain types. Yet you might still be wondering, what does ancient grains mean? Though there is no concrete definition for ancient grains, they are generally considered to be grains that have remained mostly the same over time. For this reason, there may be some debate over what is and is not an ancient grain. For example, corn and rice are not typically thought of as ancient grains, though heritage varieties of either could be classified as ancient.

Why Are They Called Ancient Grains? Ancient grains are called ancient as they are generally considered to be mostly unaltered. Grains that have been grown for thousands of years and not modified for specific properties, like some modern grains, are often considered to be ancient grains.

What are the 7 Ancient Grains?

The most common examples of what are considered ancient grains come down to seven grain types. Though there are technically more than seven types of ancient grains, these grains are what most consumers look for when purchasing ancient grain products. As an ancient grains company, we can help you source sprouted ancient grains and other nutrient-dense grains to optimize your food products.

  • Amaranth
  • Millet
  • Khorasan
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
  • Farro
  • Freekeh

 

Other types of ancient grains include:

  • Rye
  • Barley
  • Durum wheat
  • Quinoa
  • Einkorn
  • Spelt
  • Buckwheat
  • Bulgar

Gluten Free Ancient Grain FAQ

If you’ve ever wondered, do ancient grains have gluten, the answer is, it depends. Though not all ancient grains are gluten-free, many are. If you make gluten-free food products, you might feel limited by the type of flour you are able to use. For a more favourable texture, excellent flavour, and greater nutrient density, using ancient grains in your gluten-free products is ideal. As an ancient grains company, we provide wholesale gluten-free ingredients made from ancient-grains to help you optimize your gluten-free food products.

Are Ancient Grains Gluten Free? Yes, some ancient grains are gluten free.

What Ancient Grains are Gluten Free? Common gluten-free ancient grains are buckwheat, amaranth, sorghum, teff, millet, quinoa, and ancient varieties of corn.

Is Ancient Grain Bread Gluten Free? No, you should not assume that ancient grain bread is gluten free. However, it is possible to create gluten-free bread when you use ancient-grain flours.

Are Ancient Grains Keto Friendly? No, ancient grains are not keto-friendly. However, ancient grains do provide an improved nutrient-profile when compared to conventional wheat.

Our gluten-free ancient grain products are also available sprouted. To learn more about the benefits of sprouted grains, see our posts, What are Sprouted Grains and Are Sprouted Grains Gluten Free.

Types of Ancient Grains FAQ

As an ancient grains manufacturer, we are often asked about what ancient grains are and which grain types are ancient. Though we supply our customers with wholesale ancient grain and sprouted grain ingredients, not all of our products are considered to be ancient grain. Below, we answer the most common questions surrounding ancient grains to help you understand what is an ancient grain, and what grains are not considered to be ancient. Keep in mind that determining what grains are ancient grains can be subjective. There is no set-in-stone definition, and in most cases, any grain is mostly unchanged, and not bread for specific properties, could be considered ancient.

Are Oats an Ancient Grain? No, oats are not typically considered to be an ancient grain.

Is Barley an Ancient Grain? Yes, heirloom varieties of barley are ancient grains.

Is Buckwheat an Ancient Grain? Yes, barley is an ancient grain.

Is Bulgur an Ancient Grain? Yes, bulgur is an ancient grain.

Is Hard Red Wheat an Ancient Grain? No, hard red wheat is not an ancient grain.

Is Amaranth an Ancient Grain? Yes, amaranth is considered an ancient grain.

Is Corn an Ancient Grain? Yes, heirloom varieties of corn, such as blue corn, are considered ancient grains.

Is Wheat an Ancient Grain? No, modern wheat is not considered to be an ancient grain.

Is Spelt an Ancient Grain? Yes, spelt is an ancient grain.

Is Semolina an Ancient Grain? Yes, semolina is made from durum wheat, which is an ancient grain.

Is Sorghum an Ancient Grain? Yes, sorghum is an ancient grain.

Is Rye an Ancient Grain? Yes, rye is an ancient grain.

Is Quinoa an Ancient Grain? Yes, quinoa is a popular ancient grain.

Is Rice an Ancient Grain? Sometimes, only unchanged varieties such as black rice are considered to be an ancient grain.

Is Millet an Ancient Grain? Yes, millet is an ancient grain.

Is Kamut® an Ancient Grain? Yes, Kamut® is a brand of Khorasan wheat which is an ancient grain.

Is Farro an Ancient Grain? Yes, farro is an ancient grain.

Is Einkorn an Ancient Grain? Yes, einkorn is an ancient grain.

Is Couscous an Ancient Grain? No, couscous is not an ancient grain. Couscous is pasta and could be made from an ancient grain.

Is Durum Wheat an Ancient Grain? Yes, durum wheat is an ancient grain.

How to Cook Ancient Grains When Creating Baked Food Products

If you are interested in creating more nutrient-dense foods, there is no question that ancient grains can be supportive of that goal. Some types of ancient grain, such as durum wheat may be familiar to you and are easy to incorporate into baking, or can easily be used to make pasta. However, other types, such as millet, or bulgar may be less familiar. When looking to utilize ancient grains in your food products, finding a wholesale ancient grains supplier who can mill the grain, and help create custom blends for your products is essential.

At Everspring Farms, we provide our customers with bulk ancient grains and can help to co-create delicious, nutrient-dense products using ancient grains. Let us help you discover how ancient grain flour can be used in your food products. With everything from sprouting to milling taken care of in-house, you can feel confident that our ancient grain flours will support your goal of creating consistent, nutritious, and flavourful products.

See our post, How Everspring Farms Co-Creates Products That Drive Your Business Forward, to learn about how we can help you incorporate ancient grains and sprouted grains into your products.

Cooking with Ancient Grains FAQ

What is Ancient Grain Pasta? Ancient grain pasta is pasta that is made with ancient grain flour. Durum wheat, which has been made into semolina flour, is the most common type of ancient grain used for pasta.

What Is Ancient Grain Bread? Ancient grain bread is any bread that is made with an ancient grain flour. Ancient grain bread is often made with a blend of ancient grains such as spelt, millet, einkorn, and or other types of ancient grains.

What is in Ancient Grains? Ancient grains typically have a higher nutrient-density than modern grains. More fiber, protein and protein is often found in ancient grains.