Khorasan wheat

[ kawr-uh-sahn hweet, weet, ‐-san ]

noun

1. an ancient grain, Triticum turgidum turanicum, a variety of large-grained durum wheat, often touted as a healthier alternative to conventional modern wheat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Khorasan wheat¹

First recorded in 2000–05; from Persian Xorāsān “(land) where the suns rises, east,” a historic region in northeast Persia, now a province of Iran; the variant pharaoh grain supposedly so called because an American airman in 1949 acquired grains allegedly found in the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh, or possibly because Khorasan wheat was brought into ancient Egypt by invading armies

Example Sentences

Among the jars of grain on the shelves are varieties of heirloom rye, Sonora and Red Fife wheats, Patwin hard white wheat, emmer, einkorn, Khorasan wheat, amaranth, buckwheat and nixtamalized corn, as well as Wit Wolkering and Chiddam Blanc wheats from Mai Nguyen, known as Farmer Mai, in Sonoma County.

From Los Angeles Times

A type of grain flour that is still relatively unknown but rapidly gaining popularity is Khorasan wheat flour, sometimes known as Kamut flour, as that is the big brand that makes it, Ms. Ptak says.

From Wall Street Journal

It’s actually Khorasan wheat, which is sold under the brand name Kamut.

From US News

According to the Whole Grains Council, which lobbies for more whole-grain consumption, sales of Kamut-brand khorasan wheat rose more than six hundred per cent across the year ending in mid-July, while sales of spelt increased nearly four hundred per cent and amaranth sales rose more than a hundred per cent.

From The New Yorker