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Ingredient

Rye

Cereal Grains, Pseudocereals and Pasta

Rye is a cereal grain that came into cultivation later than wheat, barley and oats, and became the principal bread making grain of northern Europe, remaining so today in its eastern regions, especially Russia. It tolerates cold climates and poor soils better than wheat, growing well into the Arctic parts of Scandinavia. Beyond bread, rye flour, dry rye bread and rye malt are the traditional base of kvass, the fermented low alcohol Slavic beverage.

Facts
Disputed
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)
from 1800 BCE 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountAn earlier, more dramatic claim, that rye was cultivated at Tell Abu Hureyra in northern Syria around 13,000 years ago, remains controversial; critics point to inconsistencies in the radiocarbon dates, so this fact uses the well-established Bronze Age central European record instead of the disputed earlier date.
Earliest Documented Use, To (Year)
to 1500 BCE 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountClosing bound of the same Bronze Age central European archaeological record; see the start-year note for the disputed, much earlier Tell Abu Hureyra claim.
Classification
AllergenSourced to the subject's own account
Cereals Containing Gluten 1
Origin Region
Northern and Eastern Europe, especially Russia, where it remains the dominant bread grain. 2
Connections

Used By

German Cuisine, Cuisines

Dark rye bread is a German staple.

Source German Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Kvass, Drinks

Kvass is made through lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation of rye flour, dry rye bread or rye malt with sugar and yeast.

Source Comparison of the Antioxidant and Sensorial Properties of Kvass Produced from Mountain Rye Bread With the Addition of Selected Plant Raw Materials (Foods, via PubMed Central)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)Maxim Syrnikov
Schupfnudel, Dishes
Source Wikipedia, Schupfnudel
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Vodka, Drinks

Rye is a traditional grain base for vodka alongside wheat and potato.

Source Vodka (Wikipedia)
Whisky, Drinks
Sources
1. Rye (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Origins section
    is otherwise absent from the archaeological record until the Bronze Age of central Europe, c. 1800-1500 BCE.
  • Wikipedia, description lead (allergen)
    Rye is a cereal grain that came into cultivation later than wheat, barley and oats
View the Source
2. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014rye entry
Quote, rye entry
rye Secale cereale, a cereal which came into cultivation later than WHEAT, BARLEY, and oats.
Comparison of the Antioxidant and Sensorial Properties of Kvass Produced from Mountain Rye Bread With the Addition of Selected Plant Raw Materials (Foods, via PubMed Central)
Foods (MDPI), hosted on PubMed Central, 2024Used By: KvassView the Source
Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)
Maxim Syrnikov, Russia Beyond, 2013Used By: Russian CuisineView the Source
German Cuisine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: German CuisineView the Source
Vodka (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: VodkaView the Source
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009
  • Used By: Polish Cuisine, entry: Rye
  • Used By: Ukrainian Cuisine, entry: Rye
Wikipedia, Schupfnudel
Used By: Schupfnudel, Infobox main_ingredient field: [[Rye]] or [[wheat flour]] or [[potato]]es, [[Egg (food)|eggs]]View the Source
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