What does emmer mean?
Emmer is a species of hulled wheat, Triticum dicoccum, and one of the oldest domesticated cereals in the world. First cultivated in the Fertile Crescent roughly ten thousand years ago, it became a staple crop of ancient Egypt and much of the early Mediterranean and Near Eastern world. Unlike free-threshing modern wheats, emmer's grains stay tightly enclosed in tough glumes after harvesting, so they must be hulled before milling or cooking — a defining characteristic that gives it the alternative name 'hulled wheat'. Today emmer is a minor crop, grown in parts of Italy, Ethiopia, Turkey, and central Europe, and it has enjoyed renewed attention in artisan baking and whole-grain cookery for its nutty flavor and nutritional profile. The word appears chiefly in technical, archaeological, and food-writing contexts rather than everyday speech, though shoppers may encounter it on packaging labeled 'farro', an Italian term that can refer ambiguously to emmer, spelt, or einkorn.
nounA species of hulled wheat (Triticum dicoccum) with bearded ears and grains that do not thresh free of their husks, cultivated since ancient times and still grown in limited quantities today.
- An ancient hulled wheat (Triticum dicoccum), one of the earliest domesticated wheats of the Fertile Crescent, whose grains remain enclosed in husks after threshing.
"The bakery sources ancient grains such as emmer and einkorn from small organic farms."
"Archaeobotanists identified charred grains of emmer among the remains at the Neolithic settlement."
"Modern artisan bakers prize emmer for its nutty flavor and rich protein content."
Typically used as an uncountable mass noun referring to the grain; the plural 'emmers' occurs mainly when counting individual plants or varieties.
"Several rows of emmers were planted beside the experimental plots of einkorn."
Emmer fed the pharaohs — it was the staple wheat of ancient Egypt, and loaves of it have been found in tombs thousands of years old.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emmer
The word 'emmer' was borrowed into English from German 'Emmer', which is itself of uncertain deeper origin, possibly from an older Central European language. It entered English usage in the nineteenth century as botanical and agricultural science classified Old World wheat varieties. It should not be confused with the Arabic-derived title 'emir'; despite their similar spelling, the two words are entirely unrelated.
How emmer is actually used
A technical term used mainly in botany, archaeology, agriculture, and food writing about heritage grains; unfamiliar to most general readers. In culinary contexts it frequently appears as part of 'farro', an Italian umbrella term that can also cover spelt and einkorn.
Easily confused with emmer
An emir is a ruler or commander in Islamic countries, whereas emmer is a variety of wheat.
Spelt is a different hulled wheat (Triticum spelta); both are often sold under the Italian name 'farro', but they are distinct species.