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Ingredients

Which ancient grains are worth eating and where to buy them?

By · 19 min read · Published · Last reviewed

The grains

Grain finder

Twenty-four grains, what they are and where they come from. Filter by family, or show only the gluten-free ones.

Showing 24 grains

  • Einkorn

    Triticum monococcum

    The first wheat. Most protein and lutein of the wheats tested.2

    Origin:
    Karacadağ, SE Turkey, ~10,600–9,900 years ago2
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Emmer (farro medio)

    Triticum dicoccon

    Hulled wheat grown for about 7,000 years, now a minor crop.9

    Origin:
    Fertile Crescent, among the first crops2
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Spelt

    Triticum spelta

    Hexaploid like bread wheat. Today's spelt came from more recent crosses.4

    Origin:
    Date not settled; centred in Germany, Switzerland, Austria2
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Khorasan (KAMUT®)

    Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum

    Big kernels, about twice spring wheat. Free-threshing like durum.10

    Origin:
    Fertile Crescent; Montana since 195010,11
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Senatore Cappelli

    Triticum turgidum var. durum

    Old Italian durum. At its peak, up to 60% of Italy's durum fields.12

    Origin:
    Italy, released 1915 (Strampelli)12
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Freekeh

    Green durum, fire-roasted

    A process, not a species. Young wheat is burned, rubbed and sun-dried.13

    Origin:
    Levant, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey13
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Red Fife

    Triticum aestivum

    Canada's founding bread wheat. Parent of Marquis.14

    Origin:
    Otonabee, Ontario, 1842; story says Ukraine15
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Turkey Red

    Hard red winter landrace

    "Krimka" from Crimea. Many Kansas wheats trace back to it.16,17

    Origin:
    Crimea; Kansas 1870s17
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • White Sonora

    Soft white winter wheat

    Low-protein pastry and tortilla wheat. Pima staple, revived after 1975.18

    Origin:
    Sonora, 1640s–late 1600s19,18
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Rouge de Bordeaux

    Red winter population variety

    By 1912 it grew in at least 75% of French departments.20

    Origin:
    Lectoure, France, c. 186520
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Purple wheat

    Purple-pericarp wheat (Pp genes)

    Anthocyanins in the bran. Conventionally bred, not GMO.21

    Origin:
    Ethiopia; Europe 1870s; Sask. 201321,22
    Gluten:
    Yes
    GM version:
    None

  • Purple hulless barley

    Hordeum vulgare (e.g. HB21147)

    Beta-glucan plus anthocyanins. Barley fibre has an approved cholesterol claim.23,24

    Origin:
    AAFC Brandon, bred classically, 2021–2423
    Gluten:
    Not gluten-free
    GM version:
    None25

  • Quinoa

    Chenopodium quinoa

    Lysine-rich protein: 6.9 g per 100 g protein, above the 5.5 g reference.26

    Origin:
    Lake Titicaca, 5,000–3,000 BCE27
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None25

  • Kañiwa

    Chenopodium pallidicaule

    Quinoa's small cousin, sweeter because it lacks the bitter saponins. Grown at 3,600–4,500 m.28

    Origin:
    Andean altiplano, tamed later than quinoa28
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None

  • Amaranth (kiwicha)

    Amaranthus spp.

    7.6 mg iron per 100 g. A major Aztec crop the Spanish often banned for its ritual use.29,30

    Origin:
    Tehuacán Valley, Mexico, 5200–3400 BCE30
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None25

  • Buckwheat

    Fagopyrum esculentum / F. tataricum

    Not a grass. Tartary buckwheat has about 100× the rutin of common.31,32

    Origin:
    Mountains of southern China31
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None25

  • Teff

    Eragrostis tef

    Tiny grain, big iron: 7.6 mg per 100 g.33

    Origin:
    Ethiopian Highlands, 6,000–3,000 years ago34
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None

  • Fonio

    Digitaria exilis / D. iburua

    West African staple. High phytate may limit how much iron you absorb.35

    Origin:
    West Africa35
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None

  • Sorghum

    Sorghum bicolor

    The US grows the most, 9.3 Mt in 2018.119

    Origin:
    Eastern Sudan, 4th millennium BCE36
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    Field trials only37

  • Finger millet (ragi)

    Eleusine coracana

    Calcium champion: 344 mg per 100 g.38

    Origin:
    Highlands of Uganda and Ethiopia39
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None

  • Proso & foxtail millet

    Panicum miliaceum / Setaria italica

    Proso was North China's first grain.40 The US Great Plains grew 725,000 acres of proso in 2020.66

    Origin:
    Northern China, ~10,000 years ago40
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    None

  • Wild rice (manoomin)

    Zizania palustris

    Spiritually important to the Ojibwe, a chief food of the Dakota. Most zinc in my table, ~6 mg.41,42

    Origin:
    Lakes of the Great Lakes region, native41
    Gluten:
    No43
    GM version:
    None25

  • Heirloom & purple corn

    Zea mays landraces

    Peruvian purple corn cob: 2,600–3,800 mg anthocyanins per 100 g.44

    Origin:
    Central Balsas valley, Mexico, at least 8,700 years ago45
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    Yes, >90% of US corn46

  • Black & red heritage rice

    Oryza sativa (pigmented)

    Chak-Hao (Manipur) and Bhutanese red.48,122

    Origin:
    Asia; colour from the Kala4 gene47
    Gluten:
    No
    GM version:
    Golden Rice, halted49

Gluten-free grains can still pick up wheat in the field or the mill. If you have celiac disease, buy certified gluten-free.

My four favourites

Why these four are great, layer by layer

Origin, history, nutrition, the kitchen and the field. Peel a grain back and you see why it lasted.

Ancient wheat

Khorasan (KAMUT®)

T. turgidum ssp. turanicum · tetraploid

36kernels mailed to Montana in 1950 started it all

  1. Origin

    Fertile Crescent. Landraces are still collected in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, and the old range runs from Turkey and Iran to Egypt and Morocco.10,2

  2. History

    36 kernels reached Fort Benton, Montana, in 1950. The "Egyptian tomb" story is anecdote. Bob Quinn saw it at a county fair in 1963, and KAMUT® was trademarked in 1990.11

  3. Nutrition, per 100 g raw

    Vs modern hard red wheat in brackets.50,51

    • 14.5g protein(12.6)
    • 3.77mg iron(3.2)
    • 3.68mg zinc(2.65)
    • 11.1g fibre(12.2)

  4. In the kitchen

    Hump-shaped kernels twice the size of spring wheat. The trials used it as bread, pasta and crackers. KAMUT® means certified organic, 12–18% protein and 99% free of modern wheat. Plain "khorasan" promises none of that.10,52,11

  5. Where it grows

    Montana, Saskatchewan and southern Alberta: about 70,000 acres and 250 farmers in 2016. About 85% of KAMUT® is sold in Europe, mostly Italy.11

Ancient wheat

Einkorn

T. monococcum · diploid · hulled

7×the lutein and zeaxanthin of wheat flour

  1. Origin

    Wild einkorn from SE Turkey, between the Karacadağ and Kartal–Karadağ ranges. One gene change made it non-shattering, so it was domesticated once.53

  2. History

    People gathered and sowed wild einkorn in Syria and Turkey 11,500–10,500 years ago. It was domesticated 10,600–9,900 years ago and spread to the Caucasus, the Balkans and Central Europe.53,2

  3. Nutrition

    Side by side with common wheat. The honest catch: common wheat had about 62% more zinc.54,3,55

    • 18.1%protein(11.0)
    • 495µg/g ferulic acid(120–136)
    • 0.2mg/g ATIs(4.1)
    • 7×lutein(1×)

  4. In the kitchen

    The lutein makes the flour yellow. It survives the oven: einkorn breads kept 58–76% of it, wheat breads 16–20%. It still has gluten.3,4

  5. Where it grows

    Turkey's siyez: about 1,200 ha in İhsangazi alone, 70% of it made into bulgur. Also Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, and Outlook, Saskatchewan.56,2,7

Heritage-bred wheat

Purple wheat

Purple pericarp · Pp-B1, Pp-D1, Pp3 genes

278mg/kg anthocyanins in the best Sask. line; red wheat 7–10

  1. Origin

    Ethiopian purple wheat, Triticum aethiopicum. Collected in Abyssinia in the early 1870s and shared around Europe. Landraces still grow in Tigray.21

  2. History

    Pierre Hucl brought purple lines from New Zealand to Saskatoon in the early 1990s. CDC Primepurple was registered in 2013 and sells as AnthoGrain. Oklahoma State made its own cross in 2009 from Romanian wheat. All conventional breeding.22,57

  3. Nutrition

    Anthocyanins sit in a thin layer, under 2% of the kernel. More than regular wheat, less than blueberries. No Health Canada claim is approved.21,57,22,58

    • 22–278mg/kg purple
    • 7–10mg/kg red
    • <2%of kernel weight
    • 0approved claims

  4. In the kitchen

    Sourdough at Night Oven, vodka at Stumbletown in Saskatoon, purple tortillas in Plainview, Texas. The colour lives in the bran, so use whole-grain flour.58,57

  5. Where it grows

    Alberta, Saskatchewan and Oklahoma. In Alberta, Ward Middleton grows it organically at Midmore Farms near Morinville, just north of Edmonton. I visited the farm and brought home a 50 lb sack. It also grows near Naicam, Saskatchewan and west of Enid, Oklahoma. Austria, Serbia, India and China have purple lines too.58,59,60,21

Heritage wheat

Red Fife

T. aestivum · hard red spring

1842first grown by David Fife in Ontario

  1. Origin, the honest version

    The documented story: it came from "Halychanka," a wheat from Galicia in today's Ukraine, sent by a friend in Scotland. An Agriculture Canada history by Stephan Symko records it. Slow Food calls the origin uncertain, and I found no DNA study.15,61

  2. History

    Otonabee Township, Ontario, 1842 (Slow Food says 1840). It fed Canada until Marquis, its own child with Hard Red Calcutta, replaced it. Most Canadian bread wheats trace back to it. Sharon Rempel revived it in 1988 from one pound of seed.14,61

  3. Nutrition

    I found no lab panel for Red Fife itself. It is a hard red wheat, and 120 years of US data show hard red wheat kept its minerals while soft white lost them.62

    • 120years of data
    • Stablehard red minerals
    • Fellsoft white minerals
    • Wholegrain is the win

  4. In the kitchen

    A bread wheat, so it is the easiest swap here. Better Basics in Alberta sells it as all-purpose flour, bread flour and berries.63

  5. Where it grows

    Canada's first Slow Food Presidium: central Ontario and southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with a 22-farmer co-op. Mostly organic, and not exported.61,14

History

Twelve thousand years of grain

When each grain was first farmed, drawn to scale. Bars show the range the sources give.

When each grain was first farmed, years ago

Einkorn (wild, then tame)10,600–9,900, wild from 11,500
Proso milletabout 10,000
Maizeat least 8,700
Foxtail milletabout 8,700
Amaranth7,200–5,400
Quinoa7,000–5,000
Teff6,000–3,000
Sorghum6,000–5,000
Finger milletat least 5,000
Pearl millet4,500–4,000
Kodo milletabout 3,000
Heritage wheats400 to today

Sources: einkorn53,2, proso40, maize45, foxtail and finger millet64, amaranth30, quinoa27, teff34, sorghum36, pearl millet65, kodo67. Paprika marks einkorn, the earliest grain here, and the heritage wheats; the outlined bar is einkorn's wild phase. Finger millet's date is imprecise (lighter dot): my source says only at least 5,000 years. Emmer, spelt, Khorasan, buckwheat, kañiwa and Job's tears are left off: my sources give no firm date.

Heritage wheats of the last 400 years
YearHeritage grainWhat happened
1640s–1690sWhite SonoraBrought to Sonora by Jesuit missionaries (sources disagree: Cárdenas or Kino)19,18
1842Red FifeDavid Fife, Otonabee Township, Ontario14
c. 1865Rouge de BordeauxAppears in Lectoure, SW France20
early 1870sPurple wheatEthiopian purple wheat collected and shared in Europe21
1874Turkey RedMennonite settlers plant around Goessel, Kansas16
1915Senatore CappelliReleased in Italy by Strampelli12
1950Khorasan36 kernels mailed to Fort Benton, Montana11
2013CDC PrimepurplePurple wheat registered in Canada22

Nutrition

How they compare with modern wheat

Per 100 g of raw whole grain. The grey row is modern hard red winter wheat.

Nutrients per 100 g raw whole grain
GrainkcalProtein gFibre gIron mgZinc mgMg mgK mgSource
Modern hard red winter wheat32712.612.23.22.6512636351
Einkorn(partial)–18.1––1.78––54
Emmer(partial)–15.4––1.78––54
Spelt33814.610.74.443.2813638868
Khorasan (KAMUT®)33714.511.13.773.6813040350
Oats38916.910.64.723.9717742969
Barley, hulled~354~12.5~17.3~3.6~2.8~133~45270
Quinoa~368~14.1~7.0~4.6~3.1~197~56371
Amaranth37113.66.77.612.8724850829
Buckwheat~343~13.2~10.0~2.2~2.4~231~46072
Teff36713.38.07.633.6318442733
Millet~378~11.0~8.5~3.0~1.7~114~19573
Sorghum32910.66.73.361.6716536374
Wild rice35714.76.21.965.9617742742

Data: USDA SR Legacy values, read through NutritionValue.org and MyFoodData mirrors (the USDA site itself was not reachable). "~" means scaled from a cup portion. USDA has no einkorn or emmer entries, so those rows come from one Polish field study (one season, one variety each) and are partial. Raw minerals are not what you absorb: phytate in whole grain lowers iron and zinc uptake.

Protein, g per 100 g

Paprika bar = modern hard red wheat.

Einkorn*
18.1
Oats
16.9
Emmer*
15.4
Wild rice
14.7
Spelt
14.6
Khorasan
14.5
Quinoa
14.1
Amaranth
13.6
Teff
13.3
Buckwheat
13.2
Modern wheat
12.6
Barley
12.5
Millet
11.0
Sorghum
10.6

*Einkorn and emmer from a separate field study, not USDA.

Iron, mg per 100 g

Teff and amaranth have more than twice the iron of modern wheat.

Teff
7.63
Amaranth
7.61
Oats
4.72
Quinoa
4.6
Spelt
4.44
Khorasan
3.77
Barley
3.6
Sorghum
3.36
Modern wheat
3.2
Millet
3.0
Buckwheat
2.2
Wild rice
1.96

Not charted: finger millet, 8.9 mg (Indian govt data, not USDA).38 Einkorn and emmer have no per-100 g iron figure in my sources.

Here is the part most "superfood" posts skip. Old wheats often test higher in minerals partly because they yield less, so there is less starch to dilute them2. A 160-year UK record showed wheat minerals fell after high-yield semi-dwarf wheats arrived in the 1960s, and soil was not the cause75. But in US data, hard red wheat, the kind we buy on the Prairies, kept its minerals for 120 years62. So modern wheat is not empty. The bigger win is eating any grain whole.

Health claims

What the evidence says

The claims you see on bags and blogs, rated by how well they hold up.

Celiac disease: einkorn, emmer, spelt, Khorasan, durum and freekeh all contain gluten. None is safe for celiac disease.4,13

Health claims and strength of evidence
ClaimStrengthIn one line
Whole grains are linked to lower heart disease and death riskStrong45 observational (cohort) studies: per 90 g a day, about 22% lower CVD and 17% lower all-cause death risk. They show a link, not proof of cause.1
Barley fibre lowers cholesterolStrongHealth Canada and the FDA both allow the claim at 3 g beta-glucan a day.24,76
Einkorn is richer in lutein and proteinStrongConsistent across lab studies: ~7× lutein, 18% protein.3,54
Ancient wheats have more mineralsMixedSometimes. Common wheat had 62% more zinc in one side-by-side trial.54
Buckwheat lowers blood sugar and cholesterolMixed13 small trials pooled; results vary a lot between them.77
KAMUT® improves cholesterol and blood sugarWeakSmall 8-week trials (21–22 people), one group, sponsored by KAMUT®.52,78
Einkorn is easier on wheat sensitivityWeakVery low ATIs in the lab, but no clinical trial. Its fructans can be high.55,79,80
Quinoa lowers triglyceridesWeakOne 12-week trial of 50 people, 50 g a day.81
Sourdough lowers glycemic indexWeakNo convincing evidence. Long fermentation does cut FODMAPs.82,83
Ancient wheat has less glutenNot supportedSpelt, emmer and einkorn had more total gluten than bread wheat.4
Spelt is gentler than wheatNot supportedSpelt had the highest ATI level of five wheats tested.55
Black rice anthocyanins lower LDLNot supportedA 52-person trial found no effect.84

This guide is general information about food and farming. It is not medical or dietary advice. If you have celiac disease, a wheat allergy or another health condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.

GMO status

Is any of it genetically modified?

Almost none. Corn is the one to watch.

GM status by grain
GrainGM version?Status
Einkorn, emmer, spelt, Khorasan, heritage wheatsNoneHB4 was the first GM wheat approved for growing (Argentina, 2020). No GM wheat is grown in Canada.25,85
Purple wheat, purple barleyNoneBred by crossing and selection.21,23
Quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, wild rice, teff, millets, oats, barleyNoneNot in the ISAAA approval database at all.25
SorghumTrials onlyField trials in Nigeria and a 1 ha trial in Australia. Nothing commercial.86,37
RiceHaltedGolden Rice approved in the Philippines in 2021, stopped by a court in 2024, still in limbo.87,49
CornYes, widelyOver 90% of US corn is GE. Heirloom corn can pick up GM pollen from neighbours.46,88

HB4 wheat, in numbers

  • 4countries approve growing it: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, US.89
  • 0requests to Canada's CFIA for HB4, as of Aug 2024.90
  • ~50khectares planted in Argentina since 2020.85
  • 8%average yield gain, and it mostly vanishes with enough water.85
  • 2026A Rosario court declares Bioceres S.A. bankrupt. HB4's developer, Bioceres Crop Solutions, is a separate listed company and was not insolvent.89,91

So a "non-GMO" sticker on wheat flour or quinoa is true but tells you nothing new. The Non-GMO Project does not even list wheat as high-risk, and its seal does not cover pesticides92. One catch for organic shoppers: US organic rules still allow wheats bred by induced mutation, which covers "many modern wheat varieties"93. Corn is where labels matter. Mexico banned planting GM corn in its constitution in March 2025, yet it still imports about US$5 billion of mostly GM US corn a year94,95.

Around the world

Where each grain grows

Where it started, where most of it grows now, and where else you find it.

Grain by region: where it started, where most of it grows today, and where else it grows
GrainN. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeRussia, C. Asia, CaucasusMiddle EastAfricaAsia
EinkornAlso grownNot in my sourcesAlso grownNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayAlso grownNot in my sources
EmmerAlso grownNot in my sourcesAlso grownNot in my sourcesWhere it startedAlso grownMain growing area todayMain growing area today
SpeltAlso grownNot in my sourcesMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
KhorasanMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesAlso grownWhere it startedAlso grownNot in my sources
Durum landracesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesMain growing area todayAlso grownNot in my sourcesAlso grownNot in my sources
FreekehNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayAlso grownNot in my sources
Red FifeMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesOrigin story, not provenNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
Turkey RedMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesWhere it startedNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
Purple wheatMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesAlso grownNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedAlso grown
Quinoa, kañiwaAlso grownWhere it startedMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
AmaranthWhere it startedMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesAlso grown
BuckwheatAlso grownNot in my sourcesAlso grownMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area today
TeffAlso grownNot in my sourcesAlso grownNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayAlso grown
FonioNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayNot in my sources
SorghumMain growing area todayAlso grownNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayAlso grown
MilletsAlso grownNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area todayWhere it startedMain growing area today
Wild riceWhere it startedMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
Heirloom & purple cornWhere it startedMain growing area todayMain growing area todayNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesNot in my sources
Heritage riceNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesAlso grownAlso grownNot in my sourcesNot in my sourcesWhere it startedMain growing area today
  • Where it started
  • Main growing area today
  • Also grown
  • Origin story, not proven
  • – Not in my sources
North America: grains by country, and what the numbers say
CountryGrainWhat the numbers say
CanadaKhorasanWith Montana: ~70,000 acres (2016). Sask. average 1,681 kg/ha.11,10
Red Fife, purple wheatRed Fife across the Prairies and Ontario; purple wheat around Saskatoon and at Midmore Farms near Morinville, Alberta.61,58
Wild riceSaskatchewan lakes: ~0.9 M kg of Canada's ~1.36 M kg (2006-era data).96
BuckwheatManitoba ~10,000 acres (2015), mostly for Japanese soba.97,98
QuinoaNorQuin contracts: 5,500 acres in SK, MB, AB (2015).99
TeffNot grown commercially yet. Trials at Olds College, Alberta, and Roblin, Manitoba.100
United StatesSorghum9.3 Mt (2018), world #1.119
Proso millet725,000 acres (2020); Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota grow the most.66
Wild riceMinnesota paddies 7.1 M lb (2021); California grows about half the world's.101,102
BuckwheatOne of the world's leading growers.31
TeffIdaho, California, Texas, Nevada.34,103
Heritage wheatsTurkey Red in Kansas and Washington; White Sonora in Arizona; purple wheat in Oklahoma.17,18,57
MexicoSorghum, amaranthSorghum 4.5 Mt (2018). Amaranth peaked at 8,551 t in 2015.119,104
CornBirthplace of maize; planting GM corn banned since 2025.45,94

Where to buy

Where to buy in North America

Farms and mills that sell direct, checked on their own sites in Nov 2026 (Midmore Farms in person).

Canadian sellers
BusinessProvince, townGrainsOrganicShips to
Midmore Farms60AB, near Morinville (Sturgeon County)Purple wheat, Red Fife, rye (whole grain; I bought a 50 lb sack in person)Certified organicFarm pickup; no website
Gold Forest Grains137,138AB, Sturgeon CountyEinkorn, Red Fife, buckwheat (stone-milled)Says it is certified organicNot stated; ask the farm
Fallen Timber Creek139AB, SundreStone-ground flour; 20 kg bagsPro-CertFarm; Community Natural Foods, Edmonton
Better Basics Milling63AB (AB and SK farms)Red Fife flour, berries, branOrganicShips; area not stated
Black Fox Flour5BC, Prince GeorgeRed Fife, Khorasan, einkorn, emmer, spelt, ryeOrganicAll Canada, $15 flat
Fieldstone Organics6BC, ArmstrongAncient and heritage whole berriesPro-CertAll Canada
Flourist7BC, VancouverEinkorn (Outlook, SK), Red FifeOrganicCanada and US
True Grain8BC, Cowichan BayRed Fife, spelt, Khorasan, emmer, einkorn, ryeOrganicCanada Post
1847 Stone Milling140ON, FergusRed Fife, Khorasan, einkorn, spelt, ryeCertified organicFree over $80; area not stated
Against the Grain Farms141ON, MountainAncient and heirloom grains, saved seedNot statedNot stated
Folle Farine142QC, LanoraieWheat, spelt, rye, buckwheat, cornOrganicOnline shop
Moulin Lacoste143QC, Sainte-ClaireKAMUT®, speltCertified organicNot stated
Speerville Flour Mill144NB, SpeervilleSpelt, rye; Atlantic-grownCertified organicOnline orders, buying clubs

More mills by province: Small Farm Canada's craft mill list (42 mills).145

Near Edmonton

  • Gold Forest Grains, Sturgeon County: says it stone-mills on the farm; contact them through their site.137,138
  • Fallen Timber Creek, Sundre: organic flour at Community Natural Foods, 7917 104 St NW.139
  • Better Basics: Alberta and Saskatchewan Red Fife.63
  • Midmore Farms, near Morinville (Sturgeon County): Ward Middleton grows certified organic purple wheat, Red Fife and rye. I bought a 50 lb sack of purple wheat there in person. No website yet, so ask at the farm.60
  • Teff: Olds College trials with an Edmonton importer found it can grow in central Alberta.100,146

More farms near you: the Dadz Cooking local farms directory.

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Questions people ask

Is einkorn safe if I have celiac disease?

No. Einkorn has gluten. Lab studies show its gliadin may trigger a weaker immune response, but that is in a dish, not in people. Every wheat type can trigger celiac disease.

Is KAMUT® the same as Khorasan?

KAMUT® is a trademark for one khorasan variety. It must be certified organic, 12–18% protein and 99% free of modern wheat. Generic khorasan carries none of those promises.

Is farro the same as emmer?

Not always. In Italy, farro piccolo is einkorn, farro medio is emmer and farro grande is spelt. Look for the species on the label.

Is Red Fife really from Ukraine?

That is the documented story. An AAFC history traces it to the Galician wheat Halychanka. Slow Food and the Canadian Encyclopedia call the origin uncertain, and no DNA study proves it.

Is GM wheat grown in Canada?

No. No GM wheat is grown in Canada, and HB4, the first GM wheat approved for growing (Argentina, 2020), is not approved here.

Is paddy wild rice the same as lake wild rice?

No. Minnesota law makes paddy rice say "cultivated" and reserves "hand harvested" for hand-harvested lake rice. Saskatchewan lake rice is grown without fertilizer or sprays by law.

Did the quinoa boom hurt Andean farmers?

Not in Peru, by the best data. Eleven years of household surveys found the boom did not harm welfare, and growers gained. The real risks are price swings and losing variety diversity.

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This guide explains what the research says in plain words. It is general information, not medical or dietary advice.

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