[Sca-cooks] Winter wheat berries

[Terry Decker]

I haven't found any pre-1600 references to winter wheat either in use or 
cultivation.  Winter wheat is a north Eastern European crop that was brought 
to the U.S. in the 19th Century.  Given the fertilization and cultivation 
techniques used to produce winter wheat, I suspect that the terminology and 
the method of cultivation are a modern practice.  The hardy wheat requiring 
some moderate cold for germination is likely much older and was probably 
cultivated as an early spring crop.

Since St. Lucia was born and died in Syracuse, I would say that praying to a 
local saint to relieve a famine makes some sense.  The wheat represents St. 
Lucia's eyes, which according to a variant of her story from the 14th 
Century, were gouged out and restored by God.

Wheat berries and crushed wheat, along whith barley, oats, millet, etc., are 
used to make frumenty, boiled grain.  It is a method of preparing grain that 
has been used since the Neolithic.  You can find any number of recipes from 
Antiquity to today.  I would suggest checking frumenty in the Florilegium.

Bear

----- Original Message ----- 

I made a sort of risotto with winter wheat berries as a side dish to a 
roasted chicken tonight. I am familiar with their use in a sweet Sicilian 
pudding called cuccia made to commemorate St. Lucia's day. There's a legend 
that during one of Sicily's many famines, in 1582, the people of Syracuse 
prayed to St. Lucy and she brought ships loaded with wheat to the starving 
island. The people were so eager to eat that they just boiled the wheat and 
didn't bother to grind it into flour.

So, were there actually any uses of winter wheat berries in any period 
cuisines?

Adelisa