Spelt (Orkisz): nutritional profile, distinctive traits, and modern product availability
Mateusz Pawlak
2026-03-18
5 min. read
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As documented by the 12th-century visionary Hildegard of Bingen, spelt (known as *orkisz* in Polish tradition) once formed the cornerstone of daily sustenance... After centuries of obscurity, it has re-emerged as a focal point in contemporary nutrition discourse. Rediscover this ancient grain, which is regaining prominence among health-conscious consumers and dietary experts alike.
Orchid
The orchid (Latin: Triticum spelta L., from which another name is spellc) is a cereal that is one of the oldest varieties of wheat. Its history dates back to thousands of years B.C. Its cultivation included areas of ancient Egypt, the Middle East. References to it can be found in the biblical texts. By the ancient Romans it was called Farrum, which can be translated as a strengthening food. It was probably eaten mainly by gladiators and athletes competing in the Olympic Games.
Orchid - environmental conditions and morphology
It is an extremely unpretentious plant. It can grow in poor, rocky soils, even at 1500 m.p.m. It shows resistance to low temperatures, does not require fertilisation or the use of plant protection products. Because it has been forgotten for a while and dominated by common wheat, it has survived in several varieties in its original form because it has not been subjected to genetic manipulation. Of course, it is now striving to obtain a grain that combines the best qualities of orchids and dog pathogens.
Orchid has a nutritional value
Orchid has a higher nutritional content than common wheat. Since it is a grain with a higher biological value, its predominant ingredient is starch. It is characterized by a high protein content (1317%), which is associated with a significant contribution to the grain of the aleuronic layer.. It is about 3047% more than wheat.. Additionally, this protein is characterised by better nutrition (at a level of > 80%) and a higher bioavailability, i.e. it also contains more starch in the human body.
The orchid's properties
St. Hildegard attributed the orchid to its warming, strengthening, nutritional, fattening, bleeding-supporting, strong-muscle building properties. She considered it to be the best of the seeds and the most gentle among them. Therapists who derive from the mystique of orchid designate it as helpful in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including: weakening of the body, fatigue, decreased incidence of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, risk of coronary heart disease or stroke, cardiovascular hypercholesterolemia (also known as protein-clogging) allergies (including inflammation of the liver, liver and spinal cord), diseases of the brain, including hemorrhoids, neurodegenerative diseases, neurological diseases, and neurological disorders.
Manufacture in which the value of all the materials used does not exceed 50% of the ex-works price of the product
Given the current great orchid renaissance, the quantity and variety of products made on the basis of orchid flour present in the food market is astonishing. In baking technology, we can probably buy it in whole grains, polished (rice), sliced (cassa), salted (peanuts), flour, legumes, flakes, cakes, pasta, macaroni, and even coffee. It is also commonly baked with peanuts.
