Rye (Secale cereale)
The composition of rye is presented in table 7.10.
Table 7.10. The composition of rye. The figures are for 100g portions. (From ref. 35,36,37).
Rye probably originated in Afghanistan and Turkistan, where the wild species still grows today. Rye has only been in circulation since the bronze era,45 and since that time it has become firmly established as one of the major grains of Europe. Rye is well adapted to colder climates and gives yields over shorter periods of time than do other grains. In the past, rye was considered a weed and in America it is still sometimes referred to as “black wheat” and even in Europe it was still designated as cattle fodder in the 1980 European Community listings.45 The Germans are particularly fond of rye, and they would certainly balk at the idea that rye could be termed cattle fodder.
Rye is rich in minerals, particularly potassium, and also contains substantial amounts of the B-group vitamins, however, it is relatively gluten-free and thus will produce very firm, dense bread, such as pumpernickel, if baked by itself. The best way to achieve the best baking results with rye flour, is to combine it with wheat flour or to use the grain Triticale, which is a hybrid of wheat and rye, and can be used to bake delicious ready-made rye bread. The combination of rye and wheat flour will produce a lighter bread and improve the protein quality, and do wonders to the flavour.