Uses of Wheat in the Middle Ages For this episode I am going to write as a wheat farmer in the Middle Ages. Although the uses for wheat were taken from primary sources, the characters are fictional. 2 March, 1101. Dear Journal, My name is William Thomas and I am a farmer in Paris. I have had my farm for ten years now and I have always focused on growing rye, barley, and oats. I have recently been learning about a crop that will increase my profits; wheat. Wheat is not a new crop, but I never knew all of the uses for it until recently. I have not decided yet if I will begin to grow this new crop, but I am going to continue learning more about the benefits of growing wheat. 4 March, 1101.  Today I spoke with a man who lives about ten miles down the road from my house. This man has been growing wheat for a couple of years and he encouraged me to do the same. He said that there are many uses for wheat and it is his most profitable crop. He showed me his enormous wheat field and described to me how to tend to it. He explained to me that wheat is not planted year round, but is rotated with other crops. This insures healthy soil for the plants. If only wheat is grown, the soil will eventually produce very low quality wheat. His recommendation is to rotate it with clover, barley, or oats. He also said that growing wheat is a good way to feed his family when the other crops fail because of bad weather or disease. After speaking with him today, I am even more convinced that I should begin my own wheat crop. 7 March, 1101. Dear Journal, Now that I know more about the harvesting process of wheat, I wanted to know more about where the wheat would go once it left my farm. I know that wheat is used to make bread, but beyond that, I do not know much. I want to make sure there will be enough demand for wheat to make a profit with every harvest. Today I went to visit the most popular baker in Paris. His name is Albert Johnson and he has owned his bakery for twenty five years. I asked him to tell me about the different ways he uses wheat in his bakery. The first item that he uses wheat for is honey bread. This is a simple recipe that includes wheat flour and honey. Since it uses so few ingredients, it is inexpensive, and therefore one of the most popular items. Another item is spice bread which is made from wheat, black rye, and different spices. He says that almost any kind of bread, cake, or pastry that he makes includes wheat. He even told me of other uses for wheat, even though he does not use them as a baker. He said that wheat is also used in frying meat, porridge, and beer. He said that I would be smart to invest in wheat because it will always be used because it is non-perishable. 10 March, 1101. Dear Journal, I decided to go see one more person to learn more about wheat. When I went to see the baker a few days ago, he mentioned wheat being used for  12 March, 1101. Dear Journal, I have learned more about wheat in the past few days than I ever knew! With all of the uses for wheat, I think it would be a mistake not to begin growing it on my farm. With bad weather or disease, wheat will usually still grow, which will provide food for my family. Since I have talked to three different people about the different uses of wheat, I can be sure that there will always be a demand for it. Tomorrow I will begin growing my new, and probably most profitable  Interpretation: This episode was meant to give an inside look into the growing, uses, and beliefs about wheat. Wheat is still a staple in our diet today, and most of the items made with wheat in the middle ages are still used today. Wheat provided people with a cheap ingredient that could be added to many recipes. Because of it's ability to withstand harsh conditions, wheat was more readily available than other crops. Without the discovery of wheat, every society would have had a much harder time being successful and growing. Even though some of the ways to use wheat in the middle ages (such as the medicinal purposes) seem strange to us now, we can appreciate the hard work that came with evolving wheat into what we use today. References: Von Bingen, Hildegard. Physica. Translated by Bruce W. Hozeski. Germany. 1151-1158. This primary source was great for the medicinal uses of wheat. It also included uses for rye, barley, and oats, so it was difficult to pick only one to write an episode over. Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne and Anthea Bell. A History of Food. Blackwell Publishing. 1994. This secondary source provided a great background of wheat. It traced the use of different kinds of wheat from ancient times to today. Pictures: Close up of wheat. Virginia Grain Producers Association. Weblink. Hard Red Winter Wheat. Wheat Montana Farms. Weblink. Stages of wheat. Ohio State University. Weblink. Email Me! Back to Project Page |