Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) is a member of the grass family sometimes used as a cover crop in viticulture. Einkorn is one of the earliest forms of wheat to be cultivated, from around 10,000 years ago. Einkorn’s name in German means ‘single grain’ per hull (threshing the grain from the hull is problematic). Einkorn is much lower yielding than modern wheat but has far higher protein can be easier to digest for those with gluten sensitivities.
Einkorn can refer either to the wild species of wheat, Triticum boeoticum, or to the domesticated form, Triticum monococcum. The wild and domesticated forms are either considered separate species, or as subspecies: Triticum monococcum subsp. boeoticum and T. monococcum subsp. monococcum.