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Khorasan wheat
Khorasan wheat or Oriental wheat (Triticum turgidum, ssp. turanicum) is a tetraploid wheat species.

Taxonomy
The taxonomic classification of Khorasan wheat has long been controversial. The correct subspecies has been disputed:
 * 1) Khorasan wheat was considered an independent subspecies; ;
 * 2) Khorasan wheat was considered a durum cultivar called “Egiptianka” or “the durum of Egypt”;
 * 3) Khorasan wheat was considered a natural hybrid between Durum and Polish wheat;
 * 4) Khorasan wheat was considered a mixture of many types;

Khorasan wheat shares a lot of ranges of variation with the following subspecies Durum wheat (T. durum), Polish wheat (T. polonicum), Ispahan emmer (T. ispahanicum) and Persian wheat (T. carthlicum). These overlapping traits made the classification very challenging.

Most scientists nowadays reckon that Khorasan wheat is a Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum.

Life forme
As an annual, self-fertilized grass that is cultivated for its grains, Khorasan wheat looks very similar to common wheat. However, its grains are twice the size of modern wheat kernel, with a Thousand-kernel Weight up to 60g. They contain more proteins, lipids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals than modern wheat. The grain has an amber colour and a high vitreousness.

The biologic strategy of Khorasan wheat is the same as in every grass.

History
The exact origin of Khorasan wheat remains unknown. Described for the first time by Percival in 1921, this ancient grain likely originates from the Fertile Crescent and derives its common name from the Persian province of Khorasan. However, some scientists suggested that it rather germinated in western Anatolia, where the botanical diversity is greater than in Iran. One commonly affirms that Khorasan wheat was reintroduced in modern times thanks to an American airman, who sent grains from Egypt to his family in Montana (USA) in 1949. According to a legend, those grains were found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, hence the nickname "King Tut's Wheat." It is not known when and how Khorasan wheat was introduced to Egypt. Another legend relates that Noah brings the grain on his ark resulting in the nickname "Prophet’s wheat." Other legends surmise that it was brought into Egypt by invading armies. Finally, in Turkey, it is nicknamed "Camel's Tooth" due to its hump back shape or, more probably, because it resembles a camel's tooth.

Khorasan wheat was probably continuously cultivated at small scales and for personal use in Near East and Central Asia and in Northern Africa. However, it has not been commercially produced in modern times. In 1949, as the grain reached the USA, it did not raise a lot of interest and therefore fell in disuse. In 1977, Mack and Bob Quinn, two farmers from Montana (USA), decided to cultivate this ancient grain. In 1990, they registered the protected cultivated turanicum variety QK-77 as the trademark Kamut ®.

The trademark Kamut® and the attention it is now getting on the health food market have resulted in a growing interest from both wheat scientists and producers.

Trademark Kamut ®
After having cultivated a specific variety of Khorasan wheat for more than ten years, Mack and Bob Quinn decided to register it, in order to preserve its integrity in its original form. According to An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary by E. A. Wallis Budge the word "Kamut" meant “wheat, grain and wheaten bread”. The word “Kamut” could be registered as a trademark because it belongs to a dead language.

The philosophy behind the trademark consists of the guarantee that Kamut® products meet certain standards. In order to sell a grain under the trademark Kamut®, it must fulfil several conditions: 1. It must belong to the ancient Khorasan variety of wheat: i.e. no breeding, no genetic manipulation; 2. It must only be grown as a certified organic grain; 3. It must contain a protein range of 12 – 18%; 4. It must be 99% free of modern wheat’s contaminating varieties; 5. It must be 98% free of all signs of disease; 6. It must contain between 400 and 1000 ppb of selenium; 7. It must not be used in products in which the name is deceptive or misleading as to the content; 8. It must not be mixed with modern wheat in pasta; 9. It should not be mixed with more than 50% of modern wheat in bread, and if  mixed, it must be clearly labelled as such; 10. Products that are labelled Kamut® must contain more than 50% Kamut® brand grain or flour.

Kamut International, the company that holds the same named brand has also set up a research program in order to continually invest the properties of Kamut® Khorasan wheat.

Region of cultivation
Nowadays, Kamut® brand production is the only existing commercial production of Khorasan wheat worldwide. However, Khorasan wheat is still cultivated as food for camels in the Iranian province of Khorasan. It is also probably cultivated in small acreage and for personal use in some other regions of the Middle East.

So far, Kamut® wheat is exclusively grown in the USA. Approximately 6500 hectares are cultivated in north-central Montana, southern Saskatchewan and southeast Alberta. Although experimental production has been made in Europe and in Australia, it is not commercially produced yet.

Yield
The actual average yield of Kamut® Khorasan wheat is 1.1-1.3 t/ha. In drier years, Khorasan wheat can sometimes yield even more than durum wheat. However, in normal or wet years, it yields approximately 1/3 less than the durum wheat. Certain environmental conditions are essential to a stable yield. With only 6500 ha cultivated worldwide, Khorasan wheat does not play an important role in the world food system. It nonetheless has a great influence on the organic and healthy food market. By capturing this niche market, Khorasan wheat counterbalances its weak agronomic traits. Between 1998 and 2006 total sales of Kamut® wheat have increased by 72%.

Distribution
Although Kamut® Khorasan wheat is only produced in the USA, it is exported to Canada, Asia and Europe. Europe represents almost 70% of the sales and Italy is the greater consumer.

Product use
Khorasan wheat is used similarly as modern wheat. Its grains can be either directly consumed or milled into flour. It can be found in breads, bread mixes, breakfast cereals, cookies, waffles, pancakes, bulgur, backed goods, pastas, drinks, beer and snacks. Apart from its nutritional qualities, Khorasan wheat is well known for its smooth texture and its nutty, buttery flavour. Its content in tannin is lower than modern wheat’s. Hence, it is less bitter. Consumers generally like Khorasan wheat products for their visual appeal, their texture and their moistness.

Special compound and nutritive values
All available researches focus on the Kamut® brand of Khorasan wheat, as it is the only one to be commercially produced.

Chemical composition
The chemical composition of Khorasan wheat has a clear advantage compared to modern wheat. It contains up to 40% more protein, which improves its vitreousness. Indeed, a significant positive correlation exists between the protein content and the vitreousness degree. Khorasan wheat is also richer in magnesium, zinc,selenium, as well as many polyphenols and fatty acids. It comprises up to 65% more amino acids and up to 30% more vitamin E than common bread wheat. One can describe Khorasan wheat as a “high energy grain” since it has a high percentage of lipids, which provides more energy than carbohydrates. Khorasan wheat contains more gluten than regular durum wheat. Its high amount of gluten coupled with its high protein content ensures a good cooking quality and therefore influences the quality of the end product.

Physical properties
Kamut wheat possesses certain physical properties, such as a high thousand-kernel weight and a high vitreousness that indicate a high milling yield.

Antioxidant properties
Selenium and Zinc are both crucial cofactors of antioxidant enzymes, while polyphenols and vitamin E are essential antioxidants. The high presence of those elements in Khorasan wheat increases antioxidant protection. A study conducted on rats has shown that the Kamut® wheat-made bread better protects from oxidative stress than bread made from whole-grain durum wheat.

Human diseases
Like every other Triticum, Khorasan is not suitable for people with coeliac diseases. Some studies nonetheless show that people with low allergy to wheat products better tolerate Kamut ® than traditional wheat. Moreover Kamut® may constitute an alternative for people suffering from diabetes, due its low glycaemic index.

Research
Studies emphasize that the same variety of wheat may have different nutritive components and thus different impacts on health, if grown in different places or at different times. Consequently, Kamut International encourages its customers to refer to the individual packaging of each product for the most accurate information on the level of nutrients. One also notices that milling, fermentation, germination and cooking have important impacts on the availability of nutrients.