| Rye is an annual plant, related to wheat and barley | | | | first cultivated in Germany in 400 B.C. In the Middle |
| and ranging between yellow-brown to grey-green. Rye | | | | Ages, this was the most spread cereal in the entire |
| is the main ingredient in pumpernickel bread. The gluten | | | | Europe and it still is one of the basic aliments in the |
| it contains is less elastic that the one in wheat, which | | | | East of Europe and the Scandinavian countries. |
| makes rye bread denser and more compact. When it | | | | Almost ninety-five per cent of the rye cultures in the |
| comes to its appearance, rye is also similar to wheat: | | | | world come from the Ural Mountains and from the |
| the stem is thin, straight and concave and it has small | | | | Baltic Sea, the main rye cultivators being Russia, |
| and long leaves. When the plant reaches its maturity, it | | | | Poland and Germany. |
| forms a compact spike which has long, narrow ad | | | | There is more to rye than its history, this cereal having |
| brown seeds. This is an imposing plant, which grows | | | | a lot of advantages when it comes to or body. |
| very well in the cold plain areas and even in the | | | | Therefore, there are many reasons why we should all |
| regions which are up to one hundred metres high. | | | | consume this cereal, so make sure you keep that in |
| This plant probably grew wild among the barley and | | | | mind the next time you think about your diets and the |
| wheat cultures in the SW of Asia. It then moved | | | | aliments you should buy. |
| towards the East and North of Europe, where it was | | | | |