Wheat originated in the “ cradle of civilization ” in the Tigris and Euphrates river valley, near what is now Iraq. The Roman goddess, Ceres, who was deemed protector of the grain, gave grains their common name today – “cereal.” Where is wheat mostly grown?
The first identifiable bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) with sufficient gluten for yeasted breads has been identified using DNA analysis in samples from a granary dating to approximately 1350 BCE at Assiros in Macedonia. From Asia, wheat continued to spread across Europe and to the Americas in the Columbian exchange.
Wild einkorn and emmer, which have been known for roughly 75,000 years, are credited as wheat’s earliest ancestors. The ripple effect of these grains has been immense, since wheat is the most widely produced and consumed cereal grain in the world.
The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BCE. Botanically, the wheat kernel is a type of fruit called a caryopsis. Wheat is grown on more land area than any other food crop (220.4 million hectares or 545 million acres, 2014).
Where does wheat grow?
Through centuries of seed selection and modern wheat breeding, wheat can be grown in every temperate climate in the world. World wheat production is perennial, that is, wheat is being harvested in some part of the world in every month of the year. Wheat is seeded anywhere from sea level to elevations of ten thousand feet.
This article is about the plant. For other uses, see Wheat (disambiguation). Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain which is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus Triticum; the most widely grown is common wheat ( T. aestivum ).
Is wheat a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, the wheat kernel is a type of fruit called a caryopsis. Wheat is grown on more land area than any other food crop (220.4 million hectares or 545 million acres, 2014). World trade in wheat is greater than for all other crops combined.