Spelt-the wheat (the Bulgarian word is Limetz) has been accompanying mankind since the dawn of human civilization. Spelt is the oldest sort of wheat- it dates back to the 8th millenniкп BC.  Traces of spelt were found in some Thracian tombs, as well as in the ancient pyramids in Egypt. After the WW2 people started to use alternative and mixed sorts of wheat and nowadays spelt is entirely replaced by modern and hybrid sorts of wheat. Farmers purposefully select various sorts of wheat, in order to improve its qualities and yields, whereas the qualities of spelt have remained unchanged over the centuries. The yield is twice less as compared to conventional wheat, but spelt can be harvested without the use of expensive chemicals.

Spelt has been gradually resuming its popularity and now it is preferred food to many Bulgarian consumers who rediscover its excellent nutritive qualities and benefits to human health. It is widely used in confectionery, the baker's industry and in the beer breweries. The authors of a scientific project for transfer of innovations between Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Germany are studying the opportunities to use spelt in the brewing industry. Their purpose is to promote the use of spelt in food industry.

The manufacture of beer from spelt was a real challenge for us, because we had to turn it into malt first and find out what was the optimum proportion between spelt malt and barley malt, Professor Valentin Bachvarov from the Agricultural Academy said. The academy partners the projects together with institutes from the Czech Republic and Germany.

Laboratory experiments carried out in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic proved that the optimum proportion between wheat malt (including spelt malt) and barley malt must be half and half. And if in the Czech Republic brewers make a typical wheat beer made under a technology using top fermenting yeast, the Bulgarian scientists have developed a technology using bottom fermenting yeast, i.e. beer of the so-called Lager type, which could be advantageous for its market penetration, Professor Bachvarov contends.

“Spelt, however, has some technological disadvantages and we had to overcome them technologically with our activities under this project. Spelt is a grain which is older than malting barley. The spelt turns into malt more difficult due to the small size of the grain. Spelt has also another disadvantage - the low gluten content. That is why it is almost impossible to make bread out of spelt and yeast. However, this disadvantage has been overcome through new technologies using less water during the dough-making process. Moreover, the gluten function in spelt grain was significantly improved. The main advantage of spelt is that it is planted in an environmentally-friendly manner without the use of fertilizers and chemical substances. Spelt can grow in regions where planting of other crops is merely impossible. It is widely-used in healthy nutrition, because it is rich in proteins. It is also rich in microelements such as magnesium and sulphur. The spelt planted in Bulgaria is very rich in zinc, which is among the most important elements for the human body. ”

According to the authors of the project aimed at promoting the consumption of spelt, spelt beer will be made in small breweries and spelt can find its niche in the brewing industry, just like many other beer brands which are now constant part of the production portfolio of most brewing companies. According to Professor Bachvarov, the price of spelt beer will depend on the production volumes and the sales. Recently, farmers have been showing increased interest towards that type of grain. According to unofficial data, nearly 1,500 hectares of land are planted with spelt, but planting is still poorly organized and crops still belong mainly to small farmers. Moreover, there isn't any certified spelt seeds in Bulgaria and farmers often buy seed from abroad.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov