What are ancient grains?

Ancient grains are cereals and seeds that have remained largely unchanged by selective breeding over the last several hundred years. Examples include einkorn, spelt, quinoa, amaranth, teff, and buckwheat. They are prized for their nutritional density, unique flavors, and historical significance.

Which ancient grains are gluten-free?

Nine ancient grains are naturally gluten-free: amaranth, buckwheat, chia, quinoa, teff, sorghum, common millet, foxtail millet, and hemp. Oats are gluten-free if uncontaminated. Einkorn, emmer, spelt, khorasan, and rye all contain gluten.

What is the best ancient grain for baking?

Einkorn is considered the best ancient grain for baking bread and pastries due to its buttery flavor and workable gluten structure. Spelt is another excellent choice that substitutes 1:1 for modern wheat flour. For gluten-free baking, sorghum flour and teff flour are the most versatile options.

Where can I buy ancient grain flour?

Ancient grain flour is available from brands like Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur Baking, and Jovial Foods on Amazon. For the freshest flour, consider buying a home grain mill and milling your own from whole grain berries. Popular options include the NutriMill Impact electric mill, the Country Living hand-crank mill, and KitchenAid grain-mill attachments.

Which ancient grain has the most protein?

Hemp seeds top the list at roughly 31.6g of protein per 100g, followed by chia seeds at 16.5g and quinoa at 14.1g. Quinoa is notable as a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. Amaranth (13.6g), teff (13.3g), and buckwheat (13.3g) also provide substantial plant protein per 100g.

Chia is Gluten-free. Notable nutrients: High omega-3, fiber, calcium.

Where does Chia come from?

Chia (Salvia hispanica) was first cultivated around ~3,500 BCE, Mesoamerica. Today it is grown across Americas, Australia.

How do you cook Chia?

Use a 6:1 water-to-grain ratio. Bring water to a boil, add Chia, cover, and simmer for No cook (soak 15-30 min). Common dishes include Chia pudding, smoothies, overnight oats, salad topping.

How much protein is in Chia?

Per 100g (raw), Chia contains 16.54 g of protein and 486 kcal of energy.

What does Chia taste like?

Chia has a Mild, neutral, slightly nutty flavor profile.

All grains · Heritage Grain

Chia

Salvia hispanica

Pre-ColumbianGluten-freeAmericas, Australia486 kcal/100gMild, neutral, slightly nutty

Aztec warriors carried small pouches of chia as their primary field ration, and the crop ranked third in the Aztec economy (behind only corn and beans), collected as imperial tribute.

Origin & History

Domesticated in Mesoamerica around 3,500 BCE, chia was cultivated alongside maize, beans, and amaranth as one of the four pillars of Aztec agriculture, with the empire collecting roughly 4,000 tons annually as tribute. Spanish colonizers suppressed its cultivation due to its role in indigenous religious practices, leading to centuries of decline before its modern revival.

Discovery~3,500 BCE, Mesoamerica

Time PeriodPre-Columbian

Origin Coords17.07°, -96.72°

Current CultivationAmericas, Australia

Related SpeciesSalvia columbariae

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Home Grain Mills: Mill Your Own Flour

Nothing beats the flavor and nutrition of freshly milled flour. These are the best home grain mills for every budget and every ancient grain on this page.

Best Electric

NutriMill Impact

Compact high-speed electric mill from NutriMill, the brand most home bakers buy. Stainless-steel milling heads grind any whole grain into fresh flour in seconds. Quiet enough for daily baking, fine enough for delicate einkorn or teff.

$249 Buy on Amazon

KitchenAid stand-mixer grain mill attachment

Best for KitchenAid Owners

KitchenAid Mill Attachment

Metal grain mill attachment that mounts to any KitchenAid stand mixer. If you already own one, it's the cheapest way into home milling: no countertop space, no second appliance. Adjustable burrs from coarse to fine.

$60 Buy on Amazon

Best Hand-Crank

Country Living Grain Mill

Built like a tank: cast aluminum body, hardened steel burrs, lifetime warranty. No electricity needed. Grinds any grain including corn and dried legumes. A serious homesteader's mill that lasts generations.

$495 Buy on Amazon

WonderMill Junior compact hand-crank grain mill

Best Compact Hand-Mill

WonderMill Junior Hand Mill

Compact hand-crank mill for flour, wheat, and gluten-free grains, nuts, seeds, oily foods, and spices. Adjustable burr settings deliver coarse to fine flour without electricity.

$279 Buy on Amazon

Best Budget

Victoria Manual Grain Mill

Cast-iron hand mill under $50, clamps to any countertop. Surprisingly effective for small-batch milling of softer grains like einkorn, oats, and buckwheat. Great entry point before investing in an electric mill.

$42 Buy on Amazon

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend mills we've researched and would buy ourselves.

Bread Machines: Fresh Loaves on Autopilot

A machine kneads, proves, and bakes while you get on with your day, and it handles whole-grain and heritage flours beautifully. Five picks for every budget, including the Zojirushi we run in our own kitchen. See the full comparison →

The One We Own · Top Pick

Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme

The machine running in our own kitchen. Dual kneading paddles work dense whole-grain and heritage doughs properly, the horizontal pan bakes a real rectangular sandwich loaf, and the custom course lets you tune knead and rise times for spelt and einkorn.

$369 Buy on Amazon

Premium · Gluten-Free Course

Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus

Everything the Supreme does, plus a heater in the lid for more even browning and a dedicated gluten-free course that handles GF batters the way they need: one mix, one rise, no punch-downs. The best GF sandwich bread a machine can make.

$455 Buy on Amazon

Cuisinart stainless steel automatic bread maker

Trusted Mid-Range

Cuisinart Bread Maker

The crowd favorite: nearly seventeen thousand reviews and Amazon's own "Overall Pick" badge. Twelve straightforward menu options, three crust shades, and the brand's usual parts availability. For everyday sandwich bread it simply works.

$120 Buy on Amazon

Best Budget Stainless

OSIPOTO 17-in-1

A step up in build for under $100: stainless body, ceramic non-stick pan, and 17 programs including whole-wheat and dough-only cycles. The ceramic pan releases dense whole-grain loaves more cleanly than the usual coatings.

$98 Buy on Amazon

Cheapest Way In

Elite Gourmet Programmable

The right answer to "am I a bread machine person?" before spending real money. Nineteen presets including a genuine gluten-free cycle, three loaf sizes, and a 4.5-star average across more than eight thousand reviews.

$75 Buy on Amazon

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The Zojirushi Supreme is the machine we run in our own kitchen. New to machine baking? Start with our master loaf recipe.