What Is a Wheat Berry?

!±8± What Is a Wheat Berry?

Wheat is one of the oldest and most important crops in the world. Second only to rice, it is the main staple for much of the world. Wheat kernels have been used since the beginning of time, and they have been seen in instances of ancient art, and language. For many people it is used every single day of their lives, often whether they realize it or not.

A wheat kernel is a seed produced by the wheat plant. A wheat kernel is often called a wheat berry by nutritionists and health nuts. The kernel is the simplistic form of wheat, and comes in a variety of colors. Most commonly red and white in color, and rated as soft or hard kernels.

Wheat kernels can last for years if they are stored in a cool, dry place. This makes it one of the more sustainable crops, if treated correctly.

Wheat berries are much more elaborate than they look, and are made up of several parts that give them the nutrients, and flavor our bodies need. Wheat kernels have vitamins A, which helps with our vision, immune systems, and skin; Vitamin B, which reduces cancers, helps with our immune system, and promotes cell growth, and Vitamin E. Pretty impressive, isn't it?

The outside of the wheat kernel is the bran, and if you've ever had bathroom issues, you've probably been recommended bran cereals to provide fiber. Wheat germ is the "life" of the wheat kernel, and the main particle that allows wheat to sprout. The endosperm is a word that you may recall from middle school biology, and that's the last part key factor in the makings of a wheat kernel; the endosperm is the part of the wheat berry that contains all the starch.

When you take the time to think about it, it's really amazing what one kernel is made up of. Like the snow flake, no wheat kernel is the same. There are over fifteen thousand varieties of wheat that are grown in the United States, and they are all based around harvest times, colors, and what they can be used for. When many of us think about wheat, a loaf of bread is probably what pops into our minds, but what about pastries, pasta, oatmeal, and flour? These all originate from a different type of wheat, grown at a different time!