„Orkish flour” – origin, composition, advantages
Oliwia Kaczmarek
2026-03-15
6 min. read
1 / 1
1 zdjęcie
50
views
"Orchid flour" is a very popular food product among those who are concerned about their figure and health.. It frequently appears in cooking recipes, for example when baking bread or producing various confectionery products.. Although orchid is very similar to wheat, it has significantly better nutritional qualities.. In Polish literature, this grain is known as orkisz, orkisz wheat, wheat orchid, wheat of St. Hildegard or spelt. So, what is orkisz and what are its health benefits, as well as the advantages of orchid flour and products made from it?
Origins of Orkis
The exact origin of Orkis (Triticum spelta L.) remains uncertain. It is thought to be a mutation of its parent forms of wild cereals, specifically einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) and emmer (Triticum dicoccum L.), or their hybridization with other species. The beginnings of orkis wheat cultivation are similar to those of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), dating back to around the 9th to 6th century BC. However, the spread of orkis in Europe only occurred around the 2nd century BC. In the Middle Ages, orkis gained immense popularity due to the writings of St. Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century, who praised its nutritional value and hailed it as the best of grains. In Poland, orkis was widely cultivated in the 8th century, but by the end of the 18th century, it was replaced by other grains due to economic reasons, such as easier grain processing. Orkis then became restricted to mountainous regions. Currently, due to growing consumer awareness and the search for food with better nutritional value, orkis has regained its former popularity.
You have started reading a PRO article
You can preview the first chapter. To read the complete article and unlock all content, upgrade to a PRO account.
