Einkorn is thought to have originated in the upper area of the fertile crescent between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Einkorn, emmer and spelt are often referred to as "the covered wheats", since the kernels do not thresh free of the glumes or the lemma and palea when harvested. Cultivated einkorn generally has one kernel per spikelet. Einkorn became widely distributed throughout the Near East, Transcaucasia, the Mediterranean region, southwestern Europe, and the Balkans, and was one of the first cereals cultivated for food. In France, einkorn is grown around Sault, east of Mount Ventoux in Provence, as it is extremely hardy and can be cultivated in poor soil. It is sown in September and harvested in August.
