Durum Wheat Presented by Justin Salberg. Origins Abyssinia Modern Day Ethiopia Archaeological...
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Transcript of Durum Wheat Presented by Justin Salberg. Origins Abyssinia Modern Day Ethiopia Archaeological...
Origins
Abyssinia Modern Day Ethiopia
Archaeological Evidence Cultivated in Byzantine
Egypt just before rise of Islam
Arabs spread the crop Mid-East Genoese document
about macaroni: 1273
History
Domestication 10-15k BCE
Difficult to track Tria—Italian Aletria—Catalan Itriya—Arabic Al-fidawsh—Muslim
Fideo-Spanish Fidelli-Italian
On “the scene” in 13th C Pasta credit given to Roman
gods or Chinese
Revolution…of a sorts
Durum wheat allowed cultivation of numerous marginal lands Flexible Semi-arid
Land used for grazing or occasional growing Could now produce
significant yields Expansion of rural
settlements High energy food
Uses
Pasta, pasta, pasta Base in Arab cooking
Gnocchi, soup, stuffings Replaced some other
wheat varieties for breads Fine grind makes flat,
round breads Pilafs Couscous
Why Durum?
Drought resistant Can be stored for up to 60-80 years
Low water content Germinability
3-5 years; 30 years under best conditions Primarily used for human consumption
Little to no energy lost in protein conversion Export crop
Though domestic markets have grown considerably since its introduction
Receives a specific premium price Berlin Summit 2000-2006
Durum Wheat Today
Monsanto 525 million dollars
Grown in S Europe N and S America
North Dakota! North Africa Former USSR
Genetic Engineering and Breeding Improve energy and protein
content Eliminate disease
vulnerability
Introduction to the United States USDA researchers brought Durum back from
Russia Early 1800s
Most mills wouldn’t accept it USDA pushed hard
Controversy Domestic preference for bread, but durum wasn’t white
flour Bleaching
Harmful to humans? Demand grew with WWI and WWII
Dropped after until the 1960s Today’s pasta market
Pasta-Making
1st C. AD Apicius’ treatise on the art
of cooking Production of pasta for sale
15th-16th C. Primarily made in the home
by artisans 1933: First continuous
pasta press Pasta consumption has
increased Changed from occasional
to everyday
Organic, Sustainable…and Countertops?
Built-in drought resistance Organic production and sales
Purcell Mountain Farms Homegrown Harvest Rustichella d’Abruzzo
TorZo Wheat straw
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Co-ops 501(c)3—nonprofit, tax-exempt
Arizona Grain Desert Durum
Issues
Pesticide treadmill Pirimifos Methyle,
Diazinon, Alachror, Carbaryl, Vinclozonil, Diclorvos, Permetrina, and Malathion
Monocropping Fertilizer
Little use of organics Soil Erosion