Grünkern (, 'green kernel') is
spelt
Spelt (''Triticum spelta''), also known as dinkel wheat is a species of wheat. It is a relict crop, eaten in Central Europe and northern Spain. It is high in protein and may be considered a health food.
Spelt was cultivated from the Neolit ...
that has been harvested when half ripe and then artificially dried. ''Grünkern'' is traditionally produced in the
Bauland region in the north-east of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
(
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
).
In response to periods of adverse weather, which destroyed crops, spelt was harvested before it was completely ripe, during the so-called 'dough-ripe phase', at about 50% moisture content. Because the dried kernels exhibited a pleasing flavor when cooked in water, it became traditional to harvest a portion of the spelt crop as grünkern.
As a
winter crop, the spelt meant for Grünkern would be harvested at the end of July and subsequently dehydrated, traditionally over a beechwood fire, or in modern times, in heated-air ovens. This preserves the grünkern (by reducing moisture content to 13%) and endows it with its typical taste and aroma. Before further processing, Grünkern must be
husk
Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an Ear (botany), ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes t ...
ed or
milled. Grünkern husk has been used as a
cattle feed, or as the filler for small pillows which are meant to promote healthy sleep.
The first attested use of grünkern was in
southern Germany
Southern Germany (, ) is a region of Germany that includes the areas in which Upper German dialects are spoken, which includes the stem duchies of Bavaria and Swabia in present-day Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and the southern portion of Hesse ...
, (
Amorbach), in 1660. Grünkern was added to soups, and was dried by using the residual heat of bakehouses.
The primary harvesting period at the end of July is also seen in old folk proverbs, such as:
''Christine, Jagowi, Sankt Anne is Ern! / Schneid't mer kee Korn, / so schneid't mer doch Keern.''
Christine, James, Saint Anne
According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...
means harvest time! / If we don't reap wheat, / we reap grünkern.
See also
*
Freekeh, prepared from green wheat by drying and burning
References
Wheat
German cuisine
Baden cuisine
Cereals
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