Chiccolino Chiccolino where are you? (baby grain, baby grain where are you?)
Under the ground, don’t you know?
And you do nothing down there?
I sleep in my crib.
You always sleep, but why?
I want to grow with you.
And if you grow up, little one, what will you do?
I will put an ear and many grains I will give you.
It’s almost harvest time.
There is a world enclosed in a grain seed. There is good and there is bad. It is man, with his ability to make it a friend, to make it bread.
What’s in a Wheat Seed?
The kernel is formed: by the outer layer, i.e. by the various layers of bran and glume, which vary according to the variety of the grain; inside there are the endosperm, which is the largest part, and the germ, which is the darkest part, the matrix of the new plant.
Let’s see how it is formed and what it contains.
- Carbohydrates, in the two forms of starch (in the endosperm) and fiber (in the bran)
- Proteins, in the endosperm and in the germ
- Fatty acids, in the germ (an oil is also obtained from it)
- Some micro-nutrients such as important salts (iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, but also zinc, copper and selenium) and vitamins, including some of the B group.
Wheat proteins are made up of four types of amino acids and during grinding they denature, i.e. they lose their original “linkage” and are divided into peptides (groups of two amino acids) or single amino acids based on the degree of grinding. This biological transformation occurs naturally with grinding and is what most influences the classification of flour in Italy: that is, the amount of protein left in the flour.
Gluten is not present in wheat: it is a new complex protein which is formed by mechanical action, i.e. the mixing of flour with a liquid. During kneading, the gliadins and glutenins – amino acids present above all in the endosperm – reunite to form an elastic network which gives stability and compactness to the dough.
Wheat germ also contains a substance called octacosanol, which, according to recent research, improves athletic performance and mental efficiency.
There is also something less good, which we must take into account.
In the seed, especially in the pericarp, i.e. the layer between the bran and the endosperm, there is an anti-nutrient, phytic acid. Its action is that of an acid which doesn’t let to absorb metallic elements (calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc), thus reducing its nutritional value.
Phytic acid is eliminated by long exposure to temperatures above 140° – 285 F. Not that we would, but eating raw wheat isn’t good for that either.
The germ also contains enzymes such as lipase. By using the germ in the dough, there is less gluten formation. Attention! The germ – nor even the wheat – is absolutely contraindicated for people with celiac disease.
Wheat, however, is a caloric food and must be taken in proportion to our food needs.
Marcella Ansaldo © 2023