Kamut is a wheat variety of the Triticum family and the turgidum species, to which the closely related durum wheat also belongs. This is a different species from aestivum, which includes common bread wheat and spelt. Kamut also has anti-allergenic properties, which is again a sign of how far we have strayed from nature. For although kamut is thousands of years old, it is a new element in grain production. Kamut is an ancient relative of modern durum wheat, just as spelt is an ancient relative of soft wheat. This grain originated thousands of years ago in the fertile crescent (the land between Egypt and the region between the Euphrates and Tigris). After thousands of years of being completely forgotten, it was fortunately preserved thanks to a few Americans. Kamut has a rich, somewhat buttery taste, has up to 40% more protein, more fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals than wheat, and is easier to digest. Kamut is a spring wheat with a large kernel. It was also never bred, which makes it, along with Einkorn wheat, one of the few original grain varieties. The grains are 2 to 3 times larger than wheat and they are also more nutritious than wheat. Kamut is a delicious sweet alternative to all products that now contain common wheat. Kamut wheat is, to date, only organically grown. Compared to common wheat, kamut is richer in minerals such as Mg, Zn and Se. Among the vitamins, vitamin E is particularly noteworthy, with its content being up to 30% higher than wheat. This grain has up to 65% more amino acids and boasts more fats and fatty acids. The striking superiority of Kamut lies in its protein content, which is up to 40% higher than the national average for American wheat, which in turn contains a bit more protein than European wheat. Due to the higher percentage of fats, which produce more energy in the body than carbohydrates, kamut can be labeled as "high-energy" grain (although that is again a term that sounds extremely commercial, but for once is also true). One of the stories regarding the rescue of Kamut goes as follows: An American pilot claimed that after World War II, he brought a handful of this grain from a sarcophagus in a tomb near Dashare in Egypt. He gave thirty-six kernels to a friend, who sent them to his father, a wheat farmer in the state of Montana in the USA. He sowed and harvested and distributed the seed as a novelty during the local fair. Believing the legend that the giant kernels were taken from an Egyptian tomb, the grain was called "King Tut's wheat". However, the novelty quickly wore off and this ancient grain was forgotten. In 1977, one of the remaining jars of "King Tut's wheat" moved to two wheat farmers in Montana, Mack and Bob Quinn, father and son. It was Bob, an agricultural engineer and biochemist, who recognized the value of this unique grain. The Quinns selected a number of kernels from the small jar and multiplied them over the next ten years. Their research revealed that wheat of this type probably originated in the fertile area stretching from Egypt to the Euphrates and Tigris valley. The Quinns gave it the name "kamut," the ancient Egyptian word for wheat. Egyptologists teach us that the original meaning of kamut is "soul of the earth." In 1990, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recognized this grain as a protected variety and officially named it QK-77. The Quinns also registered kamut as a trademark. The higher Selenium content of kamut leads many health fanatics (and especially the commercial excesses in that sector) to consider kamut a miracle cure. You probably get enough Se in your normal, varied, healthy diet. Selenium belongs to the group of essential trace elements. This means that a sufficient, albeit very minimal, amount of selenium must be present in our diet, as Se is toxic, if one does not want to harm one's health and general well-being. Recent research by IFAA (International Food Allergy Association) led to the following conclusion: for most people who are hypersensitive to wheat, Kamut can be an excellent substitute for common wheat. And that is much more interesting; because it shows once again that lifestyle diseases are probably a result of our own meddling with our food. However, no research is yet known for people who cannot tolerate gluten, so no recommendations can be made for them. Other allergies related to wheat are extremely rare. For those, however, who are sensitive to wheat, kamut could well become the substitute for wheat.
