The name “einkorn” owes this grain to the property of harboring only one seed (“grain”) in each spikelet. The cultivars of the einkorn wheat, to which also T. sinskajae belongs, differentiate from the wild einkorn by larger spikes with shorter, firmer awns. A striking characteristic of T. sinskajae is also the more compact and “round” shape of the spikes.

But there is a very important unique feature of this (sub-)species: other einkorn species can only be hulled threshed, T. sinskajae is the only known exception of einkorn. The spikelets don’t need to be dehulled.

Einkorn has much smaller (elongated, narrow) seeds compared to other cereals and so it is lower in yield. However, einkorn has a particularly large amount of amino acids and minerals, a high content of beta-carotene gives einkorn flour a slightly yellowish colour. Beer can be brewed from einkorn, which is why I assign it to the stimulants as well as to the cereals category.

• Edible Seed (grain)
• Type of fruit Caryopsis
• Culinary Group Cereals Stimulants
• Taste neutral
• Trivial Names Freidreschendes Einkorn, Engrain nu
• Size 11 cm
• Taxonomy Poaceae (Grass family) Triticum sinskajae, Syn. Triticum monococcum convar. sinskajae
• Origin Near East (Map)
• Locality Archäologie und Archäobotanik Afrikas, Goethe-Universität 2015