Southern Farmers May Drive Revival Of Colonial-Era Wheat Variety

“Heirloom grain” isn’t yet a part of the foodie vernacular the way heirloom apples and tomatoes are, but it may be only a matter of time. Scientists are excited about one variety of heirloom wheat whose origins trace back to the South in the eighteenth century. Purple straw hasn’t been commercially produced in more than 40 years, but researchers who have acquired some seeds and begun cultivation and flour milling believe they have found a “national treasure.” In the South especially, they predict purple straw -- high in protein, low in gluten – will find a home in whiskey distilleries and bakeries that specialize in cakes and biscuits.