Ancient Grain

A culinary and marketing term for grains that have changed little through modern plant breeding, like einkorn, emmer, spelt, khorasan, teff, millet, and sorghum. There's no fixed scientific definition, so which grains make the list depends on who's using the label. Ancient doesn't mean gluten-free: the ancient wheats all contain gluten, and they usually ferment, absorb water, and build structure differently from modern bread wheat.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• Don't swap an ancient wheat into your favorite recipe one for one and expect the same loaf. Start with 20 to 30 percent of the flour, learn how it feels, then push further.

Watch it at the bench