Your Daily Facts about Wheat
Wheat (Triticum sp.) is one of the oldest and most extensively grown of all crops. It was first cultivated for use as food between 10,000-8000 B.C. Modern bread wheat is a hexaploid and originated from at least two hybridization events between different species however the botanical origin of wheat is still largely unknown and hotly debated. There is little doubt that wheat cultivation mirrored or supported the rise of civilizations in Europe and the Middle East. It was introduced to Mexico by the Spanish (1700s) and to Virginia by English Colonists (1800s). Wheat is being harvested somewhere in the world in any given month. It has been adaptable to a range of geographical regions and is grown in all but tropical climates.
Wheat grain is actually a fruit called a caryopsis. Baked goods made from the entire caryopsis or wholegrain contain the starchy endosperm, bran and embryo. In contrast bread made of refined flour has the germ and bran removed and contains only the endosperm.
The flour extracted from wheat grain is unique. It is the only cereal flour which will produce a leavened or light baked product, thus wheat flours can be used for croissants, pastries and light cakes, foods not easily produced using corn flour for example. Further, the proteins associated with starch granules makes wheat ideal for pasta production. The higher protein content of pasta wheat gives them the highly desirable al dente texture. Wheat’s fortune as a food may have waned in recent times with the popularity of the Atkins diet and the heightened awareness of gluten allergies.
Wheat is grown in 42 states in the United States.
Six classes bring order to about 30 thousand varieties of wheat. They are: Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, Durum, Hard White and Soft White.
More foods are made with wheat than any other cereal grain.
In the United States, one acre of wheat (depending on wheat class and where grown)yields an average 42 bushels of wheat.
About half of the wheat grown in the United States is used domestically. (Source: USDA)
The state of Kansas is the largest wheat producer in the United States with North Dakota a close second.
One bushel of wheat contains approximately one million individual kernels.
One bushel of wheat weighs approximately 60 pounds.
One bushel of wheat yields approximately 42 pounds of white flour.
One bushel of wheat yields approximately 60 pounds of whole-wheat flour.
A bushel of wheat yields 42 commercial loaves of white bread (one-and-a-half pound loaves).
A bushel of wheat makes about 90 one-pound loaves of whole wheat bread.