Hebrew: כֻּסְמִין, kusmeen
Family: Poaceae
Scientific name: Triticum spelta aestivum
Spelt is considered one of the Five Grains, and when forming dough there is an obligation to separate challah. It can be used to fulfill the obligation matzah on Passover, it is subject to the prohibition of chametz. It is also subject to the chadash prohibition (and permitted for use only after the omer offering was brought). The common denominator in these halachot is the fact that spelt ferments. The fermentation is a characteristic that contributes to the quality of the baked goods and makes it a superior food.
In the rulings and interpretations, several main identifications of this plant have been proposed, including various types of wheat: spelt wheat, single-grain wheat, and two-grain wheat. One of the main characteristics of these wheat varieties is that they are hulled wheat—where one of the husks sticks to the grain and does not separate during regular threshing, requiring special removal. Another identification is cultivated rye.
“Kusmin” is the plural form of “kussemet.” Kusmin was first mentioned in the book of Shemot as a plant that was not damaged by the plague of hail. During the hailstorm, the spelt had not yet sprouted or was in the early stages of growth, so it was not harmed. In the Prophets, it is mentioned that Ezekiel was commanded to eat spelt bread.
The Sages divided the group of five grains into subgroups and debated whether spelt belongs to the wheat group or is a is a group of its own. This division has numerous halachic implications, including kilayim and challah.
Note that the plant known today as kussemet, buckwheat, is a legume and is not one of the five grains.
Kilei zera’im and kilei hakerem (interplanting: annuals and grapevines): Spelt is classified as a grain, thus it must be kept away from other annuals—vegetables, legumes, and grains—and from grapevines. Tractate Kilayim notes that rye and spelt are not considered distinctly different species from each other, although they belong to different groups. This is due to their similar shape. For this reason is permissible to plant them close to each other.
Chadash (new grain prohibition): It is forbidden to eat spelt that took root after the 16th of Nissan until the 16th of Nissan the following year, when the omer offering is brought. This prohibition is called issur chadash, the new grain prohibition.
Challah (separating dough when baking): Dough from spelt flour requires the separation of challah. For dough to be obligated in challah separation, the ingredients (flour and water) must be well mixed together. The quality of the mixture differs between various types of flour. Some authorities believe that dough made from spelt is of high quality, and thus the determining stage for its obligation in challah separation is gilgul, the kneading stage, similar to wheat. Others believe that the quality of spelt dough is similar to barley, and therefore, the determining stage is referred to as timtum, when flour and water are mixed but haven’t formed a proper dough.
Priority in Blessings: Spelt bread is considered superior to barley bread. However, since barley is mentioned in the verse that highlights the special fruits of the Land of Israel (“a land of wheat and barley”), the blessing should first be recited over barley bread. However, since spelt is a type of wheat and its bread is of higher quality than rye bread, the blessing should be recited over spelt bread before rye bread.
