AUGUST FOOD OF THE MONTH: SPELT (FLOUR & BERRIES)

• Taste: Sweet

• Temperature: Cooling (FYI - it has a similar cooling nature to wheat but is slightly warmer than wheat)

• Post-Digestive Effect: Building

• Dosha: Vata & Pitta pacifying

• Qualities:  Heavy, Moist (can be drying in excess), Cooling

• How to cook: Spelt flour works as a great 1:1 substitute for wheat flour in baking. BUT, it does not have as much rise as wheat flour, so if you are making muffins (for example) you can fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full instead of 1/2 full. I have found that it works great in pizza crusts, pancakes, breads, and muffins. For spelt berries: Soak for 8 hours, then simmer 1 cup spelt with 2-3 cups cooking liquid for 30-60 minutes. You can also dry roast the berries over medium heat for 2-3 minutes before cooking to enhance their flavor.

• Best flavor combos: apples, basil, lentils, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, berries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, nuts, raisins, dates

• Season: Typically harvested in spring but can also be harvested in winter and summer. I like to think of it as a summer/ fall grain due to its vata & pitta pacifying qualities.

Spelt! I honestly cannot say enough good things about spelt. As a vata/ pitta, it soothes my soul. It is incredibly grounding, nourishing, and easy to digest. It can be balanced with other foods to suit kapha (see below). But, spelt does have heavy and demulcent (herbs & food that create a soothing film over mucus membranes) qualities, thus kaphas would want to use it in moderation.

Kaphas can balance the heavy qualities of spelt by adding pungent spices and bitter greens to the recipe. For example, if using the spelt pizza crust recipe, a kapha would load it up with leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, and warming spices such as garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. If it is a sweeter recipe, extra sweet spices would do - cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove, nutmeg. You basically have to warm and lighten it up with the other ingredients in the dish.

The cooling demulcent nature of spelt makes it great for anyone with inflamed mucus membranes - aka pittas! It is heavy, gooey, and smooth which acts like medicine to those with IBS, loose BMs, colitis, and many autoimmune disorders. These properties can also aid in vata (dry) types of constipation. But remember, there are different types of constipation. Someone with a heavy/ congested/ clogged/ sticky type of constipation is more like kapha. Thus, the heavy sticky nature of spelt would not be good for this.

Spelt is NOT a gluten free grain but it is a lighter alternative to wheat. It is easier to digest than wheat because it has a lower amount of fructan carbohydrates which are heavy and take a long time to digest. Most of my clients start by saying "I have a gluten intolerance" but then have no problem digesting spelt. We have to remember, it is not about the gluten, but more so how the food is treated, what it is combined with, its qualities, and that person's individual digestion.

I mainly use spelt as a flour when baking. But, the berries can make a great risotto, pilaf, stew, or whole grain "salad" bowl. When working with spelt berries, think of them as similar in texture to farro or barley.

References

• Joyful Belly. (n.d.). Spelt flour. Joyful Belly: School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion. https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/ingredient/Spelt-Flour/203

• Page, K. (2014). The vegetarian flavor bible. Little, Brown and Company.

Try out these spelt recipes!

SPELT CINNAMON BUNS

SPELT PIZZA CRUST

SPELT PANCAKES