Grains are among the oldest of all human foods; it’s believed that grains were the first plants mankind learned to cultivate, around 10,000 years ago in the Neolithic period. Wheat and barley, both types of grass that still grow wild profusely in the Middle East, were the first crops cultivated. Growing them ensured communities had consistent food supplies and ultimately led to the organising of society into permanent settlements based around plots of crops.
Today, there’s not a cuisine that doesn’t feature some type of grain. From Scottish oats, Italian polenta, to Turkish burghul (a form of cracked wheat), to all the world’s rices and the hominy of the Americas, grains are fundamental to all food cultures. Without wheat, for example, we wouldn’t have bread, pasta, couscous, semolina, flour tortillas…
