Wheat (part-2)

Welcome back to part 2 of Wheat, readers. In the last part, we covered origination to by-products of wheat. In this part, I have attempted to cover the various by-products and the usages of wheat among people from different lands and cultures, and the medicinal role of wheat in different areas of medicine.

By-products of Wheat:

All-purpose flour: It is made from the endosperm of wheat which is separated during the milling process. It is made by combining hard and soft wheat types (80% hard wheat, 20% soft wheat), hence the name all-purpose flour. As it is naturally dark in colour due to presence of germ and bran, it is bleached and then fortified for retaining the nutrients lost in the production process. Nutrients like vitamin B (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) and minerals like Fe and Mg are added in equal amounts of them in whole wheat flour or in exceeding amounts as well. It is widely used in baked products from European countries and flatbreads from Europe, Middle East, Asia, etc.

Bread flour: It is milled primarily for commercial production of breads, especially yeast breads. It is produced using endosperm of hard red spring wheat. This product is similar to all-purpose flour and enriched and bleached similarly. The difference is seen in the amount of gluten which is high in bread flour relatively, which makes it suitable for breads, hence the name.

Cake flour: This fine-textured, silky flour is made by using soft wheat grain endosperm. It is suitable for cake making as it is high in starch, protein and low in gluten, which makes the final products like cakes, pastries light and fluffy, tender and delicate.it can be prepared by 1 cup all-purpose flour, replacing 2 tablespoons with cornstarch.

Pastry flour: This product of soft wheat grain endosperm lies between all-purpose flour and cake flour. It has slightly less starch and higher protein compared to cake flour. It is used in making pastries, cakes, crackers.

Self-rising flour: It is made by mixing all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt. It used to make cakes and pastries.

Whole wheat flour: It is obtained by milling the entire grain of wheat as a whole, excluding the husk. It is a healthier choice and more flavourful. Due to the presence of bran, the gluten development is reduced and hence its products are dense. In case used for baking, extra gluten is added to obtain fluffy and light products (1 tablespoon/ cup of whole wheat flour). It includes high amount of fiber, high protein and vitamin B, A, E and minerals like Fe, Mg, K due to maximum nutrient held as a result of including whole wheat grain.

Graham flour: It is a coarsely ground whole wheat flour invented by Dr. Sylvester Graham who advocates the use of whole wheat flour post 1800’s industrial revolution. It is higher in gluten and fiber compared to other overly processed wheat flours. It is used to make the very famous graham crackers and also mixed in other flours, which are non-wheat or low in protein, to make them stronger for a stronger dough structure. It has a shorter shelf life comparatively as it has germ in it, which contains oil content which can go rancid over time.

Semolina: It can be described as coarsely ground durum grain endosperm. It has highest protein among all other wheats and further used to make high quality pasta and other by- products like couscous in Latin America and Africa, durum flour and is rarely used to make breads.

Durum flour: This is by-product of semolina, enriched with vitamin B, Fe, Mg, K, etc. It is used to make low gluten noodles, rarely breads and such other low gluten products in Asia and America.

Couscous: This by-product of semolina is a staple food of North Africa. It is made using semolina and wheat flour into a pasta; the word means ‘pasta’ itself in North African language.

Cracked wheat: Aka kibbled wheat is described as a whole wheat kernel cracked into smaller pieces but not pre-cooked. It is added to products to add a crunchy texture and nutty flavour to the final outcome after being cooked.

Crushed wheat: It is a whole wheat product. Crushed wheat is made during the milling process, when the wheat grains are first tempered clean and sprayed with water which softens them and increases the moisture level. This softened wheat is passed under a set of rollers, post which the wheat berries are literally flattened giving out very little flour. The flattened wheat berries are called crushed wheat. It can be used in salads and stuffing after slightly toasting them, in savoury preparations like upma, dalia, etc.

Bulgur: It is a wheat product which is made by soaking the wheat berries, cooking, drying and then a small fraction of bran is removed and rest is cracked into pieces. This final product is then used to give dishes a crunchy texture, like in salads, breads, desserts. It is also used as a meat extender (non-meat product that is high in protein and carbohydrates and can be used as a filler in place of wheat).

Rolled wheat: It is similar to crushed wheat but it is not tempered as long as crushed wheat and cracked before being rolled unlike crushed wheat. it is thinner and smaller in appearance. When rolled, it gives a little more flour which is used in multi-grain speciality brands. It is used in the same manner athat of crushed wheat.

Farina: It is a by-product of hard wheat varieties but not durum. It is made using the endosperm of the wheat, which is coarsely ground. It is a prime ingredient in hot breakfast cereals and pastas.

The various usages of wheat in countries and cuisines:

Wheat is used in versatile ways by various people of different lands and cultures, like, in Asia it is used to make noodles (udon, ramen), steamed products, breads, flatbreads (naan, kulcha, roti, etc.), desserts (lapsi, kada prasad, churma laddoo, etc.) and savoury items (dalia, pilaf, upma, etc.); in Middle East and North Africa it is used to make flatbreads (matzah, maneesh, naan, etc.), couscous; in Russia it is used for bread loaves, pasta and also a pseudo-cereal buckwheat is used for making pancakes called blinis. In Australia, Southern U.S. and Canada, wheat is used to make breads, cereals, pastas, crackers, cookies, pies, pretzels and cakes; in Mexico and Central America, wheat is used to make flour tortillas, breads and empanadas.

Wheat is used in Asian cooking not just for noodles but also in the form of wheat gluten (seitan), which came into used first in 6th century in China as an ingredient in noodles. It is historically used in China, Japan and other East and Southeast Asian cooking. Wheat gluten has 25 gm protein in one slice and has a chewy texture with a delightful flavour. It is a meat substitute or mock meat for vegans or vegetarians, hence included mainly in the diet of Buddhist monks and in macrobiotic cuisine (derived from Zen Buddhism and is used to balance the yin and yang). A common mock meat dish is mock duck. Wheat is commonly used in Southeast Asian countries in flatbread, dessert and savoury dishes as discussed above.

Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, turkey, use wheat to produce bulgur and couscous to make their staple food like pilafs, flatbreads and salads like Tabouleh- a Lebanese salad, porridge, etc.

Northern Africa uses wheat to makes couscous out of which they make pasta and consumed as a staple food. It also makes flatbreads like Injera made from wheat, teff and sorghum). Wheat was brought to North Africa in the form of semolina by the Carthaginians (people of the Carthage in Mediterranean region) and then the Berbers (People of North Africa) adapted it to make couscous and other staple foods.

Russian cuisine includes wheat to make breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and vodka. It is used along with rice to make a popular porridge called ‘rasha’.

Other European countries like France use wheat to make breads like baguette out of white wheat flour, pain complete out of whole wheat flour; Italy makes pastas and semolina out of durum mainly.

Top wheat producing countries:

1. China: It is on the 1st position in wheat production by producing 130 million tons of wheat. It produces common wheat, durum and other winter and spring wheats in 30 provinces out of 31 provinces. Major winter wheat production is done in regions of Shandong and Henan, which lie in the center of the nation. Spring wheat is produced in the northern part of the country.

2. India: India lies on the 2nd position in wheat production by producing 98 million tons of wheat. the most common varieties cultivated here are khapli, sharbati, common bread wheat, durum. Madhya Pradesh is the top most producer of sharbati wheat in India. Bread wheat is mainly produced in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam. Durum is produced highly in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Southern Rajasthan, few places in Punjab.

3. Russia: Russia produces 63 million tons of wheat and stands on the 3rd position. Wheat is dominant in Russia as in consumption. It produces both winter and spring wheat. winter wheat is produced mainly in North Caucasus, spring wheat is mainly cultivated in Don Basin, Middle Volga, in South West Siberia, there is a heavy production of durum, bread wheat and the pseudo-cereal that is buckwheat, in spring.

Medicinal role of wheat:

Allopathic perspective: Wheat has several virtues and provides protection against diseases. The starch and gluten in wheat provide heat and energy, the inner bran of wheat provides phosphates and other mineral salts, the outer bran provides the much-needed roughage that is necessary for smooth digestion and proper bowel movements. The germ provides vitamin B and E, protein of wheat and helps in muscular tissue repair. It helps in preventing diseases like appendicitis, diseases, obesity, cardiac diseases and diseases related to colon. But the portion of wheat consumption should be controlled or it can give adverse effects on health, like, rise in cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis (clogging of arteries due to fat build-up on the walls), disturbs blood sugar levels, causes mood swings, increases irritability and chances of fatty liver, high blood pressure.

Ayurvedic perspective: In Ayurveda, wheat is described as a heavy, oily, sweet and cooling food ingredient. It is said to balance vata and pitta dosh. Vata being light, picks up speed and drips out the body and mind causing anxiety, constipation and sleeplessness. It causes these problems as the vata pushes the pitta and kapha doshas out of balance. Vata is calmed by heavy and heating foods. Agni is necessary for digestion and it is provided by foods like grains, this is due to the enzymes that the grain provides. So, in conclusion, grains strengthen digestion by strengthening agni.

Wheat is used to treat vatarakta (gout) by using an ointment of ghee, wheat powder and goat’s milk. It is consumed in a mixture of wheat powder, rice powder, barley powder and cow’s milk by lactating women regularly to improve the quality and amount of milk. Wheat powder, tree turmeric (manjishtha) and lodhra powder mix is sprinkled over fresh wounds to stop bleeding. It is used in upanaha sved which is used to relieve pain and inflammation in muscles and bones. It is used to make fermented preparation of dehusked and cooked wheat called ‘aranala’. It is useful in kapha dosh and improving digestion.

In Ayurveda, wheat is distributed in 3 types:

1. Maha Godhuma: This wheat is imported from the west and is bigger in size compared to other types.

2. Madhuli, Madhulika: it is an Indian type of wheat. It is smaller in size comparatively with maha godhuma.

3. Nishuka/ Nandimukhi: This Indian type of wheat is elongated and blunt at ends unlike madhulika.

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine): In this type of medicine, it is said to be of cooling nature. It balances the yin (negative, dark, cold, feminine, opposite of yang). It calms the spirit and clears heat as it enters spleen, heart and kidney. In TCM it is advised to consume wheat in small amounts and fresh right after being ground or within 2 weeks. According to TCM, wheat helps reduce anxiety, palpitations, insomnia, irritability, menstrual difficulty, emotional instability, mild diarrhea, used to treat burns by making a paste with sesame oil.

"I hope this part of the article has brought enlightenment to you readers, about how versatile wheat is and how it is the most cultivated and consumed food, along with an important place in medicine. For more such articles, keep in touch. Thank you for reading."