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Grain of the Gods
A few weeks ago, I was wandering around the health food store
in Erie, PA with a friend of mine, who had made the trip up from
Pittsburgh, just to check out this establishment. Unfortunately,
she was a little disappointed. I, however, was not.
Upon turning the corner and walking down an aisle, what to my
wandering eyes should appear but the golden glow of King Tut’s
funerary mask, gazing at me from a box of cereal! I was
completely astonished to see this. Looking more closely at the
box, I see that this certified organic cereal, Kamut Krisp, was
advertised as having been made "from the ancient
grain." Now my curiosity is aroused fully and I grab the
box of cereal, adding it to my small basketful of purchases.
 Kamut Krisp, it
turns out, is a very tasty wheat grain cereal, made from the
Kamut (ka-moot) wheat grain. Legend (and the back of the cereal
box) tells us that an American farmer, who took the grains back
to Montana and planted them, found those grains of Kamut in the
tomb of Tut. This ancient grain then germinated and multiplied,
giving us the Kamut grain that we have today. (No mention of
Howard Carter was made.) Having read that, I became determined
to find out about Kamut.
Upon returning home, I can hardly wait until the next morning
to try my Kamut Krisp for breakfast. It’s tasty! My 9-year-old
even likes it. Sitting at the computer, with my bowl of Kamut on
the desk, I begin my search for the truth of Kamut. It was not
as difficult as anticipated – Kamut even has its own web site
and Kamut Growers Association.
"The real history of Kamut brand
grain has been as elusive as its taxonomic classification.
Although not thought to have been in
commercial production anywhere in the world in the recent
past, most scientists believe it was not taken from the tomb
but probably survived the years as an obscure grain kept
alive by the diversity of crops common to small peasant
farmers perhaps in Egypt or Asia Minor. Scientists from the
United States, Canada, Italy, Israel, and Russia have all
examined the grain and have reached different conclusions
regarding its identification. All agree that it is in the
genus of wheat called Trítícum and in the species
turgídum which also includes the closely related durum
wheat.
This is a different species than
aestívum which includes the common bread wheat and its
close relative Spelt wheat. The correct subspecies is in
dispute. It was originally identified as polonícum. Some
now believe it is turanícum, while others claim it is
durum. One Russian scientist believes it is a durum variety
called Egíptíanka or "the durum of Egypt". Still
others believe it is a mixture of many varieties which would
be consistent with its supposed descent from an ancient land
race originally gathered by primitive farmers from the wild.
Although its true history and taxonomy may be disputed, what
is not disputed is its great taste, texture and nutritional
qualities as well as its hypo-allergenic properties."1
As Nature’s Path, the maker of Kamut Krisp
claims, "the journey is in the eating." If you are in
interested in health food and Egypt, or just like to try unusual
things, consider Kamut Krisp cereal. It is good, and it’s not
every day that you can claim to be eating the grain of the gods.
You can find out more about Kamut at http://www.kamut.com.
1 http://www.kamut.com/research/
Fasolia Khadra Lil Salata
(Fresh Green Bean Salad)
- ¾ lb. Fresh green beans, trimmed and broken into
bite-sized pieces
- 1 large ripe tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces or 8 oz.
Cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced and diced
- ½ cup shaved Asiago or Feta cheese
- Basil Vinaigrette Dressing*
Cook or steam the green beans until crisp-tender. Drain and
rinse with cold water, then drain again. Place in bowl; add
tomato. Add red onion and toss. Add Basil Vinaigrette and toss.
Chill before serving. At serving time, sprinkle shaved cheese on
top.
*Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
Combine:
- 1/3 cup snipped fresh basil (use fresh!)
- 3 Tb. Red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tb. Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ Ts. Salt
- ¼ Ts. Pepper
Mix ingredients and refrigerate, covered, up to 8 hours.
Makes about 2/3 cup.
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