Rye is a relatively undemanding with regard to site conditions, hardy, cereal species of temperate latitudes from the family of sweet grasses. The rye grain is mainly important as food and feed, as well as in the use as a renewable raw material and for the production of brandy (grain / vodka). Rye provides important amino acids and minerals, but its pollen also has a strong allergenic effect.
This is what you should know about rye
To enjoy the full “assortment” of rye’s ingredients, in the case of baked goods, the whole grain should be used whenever possible (whole grain products) or flours with a high degree of milling with a type designation above 1,000 (e.g., Type 1050). Rye, which belongs to the sweet grass family, plays only a minor role among cereals worldwide, accounting for 1 percent of total production. For Germany, rye is far more important as a raw material for food and animal feed, as a renewable resource and for the production of high-proof spirits. With an annual production of around 4.7 million tons, Germany is the world’s largest producer – ahead of Russia and Poland, which each harvest 3.4 million tons. Relatively little is known about the cultivation of rye in prehistoric times. Finds in northern Syria (Tell Abu Hureya) show that rye was already being cultivated and used as food 8,600 years ago. In Central Europe, finds have shown that rye was known at least since the Hallstatt period in the 6th to 5th centuries BC. Only winter rye, which is sown in the fall and survives the winter as a young plant, is of economic relevance and has a clear growth advantage over the summer cereals when the growing season begins in spring. In Central and Eastern Europe, rye is often used in its milled state as flour for the production of rye or mixed bread and other pastries. Rye is rich in primary and secondary plant substances. Particularly appreciated is the pleasant and mild taste of the grain and the high content of minerals, especially potassium and phosphorus. Rye also contributes to the basic supply of the body as a supplier of a number of important amino acids, some of which are essential. Other metabolically relevant secondary substances include vitamins of the B complex and vitamin E.
Bread and pastries made from rye flour require a so-called sourdough process for production, because although rye flour also contains gluten, it cannot build up a gluten skeleton like wheat flour. In rye flour, this scaffolding and gas-holding function is performed by pentosans, which cause the rye baked goods to become quite firm and must be loosened either by sourdough guidance or by admixing wheat flour.
Importance for health
Rye can certainly fulfill the function of a staple food, judging by its primary and rich secondary ingredients. The total nutritional and caloric value of 293 kilocalories per 100 grams of consumable rye is based mainly on the high proportion of carbohydrates in a notable amount of proteins. Fats or oils are only weakly represented with 1.7 grams. It is mainly the high content of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, tryptophan, histidine and others that make rye a valuable food that also strengthens the immune system. With 13.2 grams of dietary fiber, rye aids digestion and stimulates the unconscious movement of the intestines, peristalsis. Many of the vitamins, enzymes and minerals that rye grains contain are found in the aleurone layer just below the hull. In order to enjoy the full “assortment” of ingredients, in the case of baked goods, the whole grain should be used whenever possible (whole grain products) or flours with a high degree of milling with a type designation above 1,000 (e.g. Type 1050). Despite all the positive properties associated with eating rye, there is also a downer, because rye, like wheat, also contains gluten, and rye pollen is considered highly allergenic. Far fewer people react to rye flour than to pollen. However, rye flour allergy occurs in bakers who have to constantly handle rye flour as part of their job.
Ingredients and nutritional values
| Nutritional information | Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 338 | Fat content 1.6 g |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | Sodium 2 mg |
| Potassium 510 mg | Carbohydrates 76 g |
| Protein 10 g | Dietary fiber 15 g |
Rye grains shine with a balanced portfolio of ingredients including phytochemicals, which are important for metabolism and for the immune system. The nutritional and caloric value of 338 kilocalories per 100 grams is based 76 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of high-quality proteins. Only the fat or oil content of rye falls a little short with 1.7 grams. The high mineral content of rye includes potassium (510 milligrams), magnesium (90 milligrams) and calcium. The high content of B vitamins and vitamin E is also positively noticeable. For example, vitamins B3 (nicotinic acid) with 1,800 µg, B5 (pantothenic acid) with 1,500 µg and vitamin E with 2,000 µg. Other important ingredients are about 11 different amino acids such as tryptophan, lysine, histidine and some others, most of which are even essential.
Intolerances and allergies
Rye flour and rye products, like wheat flour, contain gluten, so people with gluten intolerance or gluten intolerance or people suffering from celiac disease should avoid rye products. Direct rye flour allergies that are not due to problems with gluten are very rare. Rye flour allergies are known to occur in bakers who process rye flour and are exposed to rye flour dust on a daily basis. Nevertheless, rye is not without problems in terms of allergens, as its pollen combines the highest allergen potential of all known grasses. The allergen potential is several times higher than that of wild grasses. In very rare cases, allergy sufferers experience cross-reactions between rye pollen and rye flour.
Purchasing and kitchen tips
Basically, rye is available in the form of grains, semolina, flakes or flour, and rye flour is available in varying degrees of grinding and numbers. Digits above 1,000 indicate a high content of the aleurone layer and hulls, which contain valuable amino acids and minerals. If a high standard of quality is desired without pesticide residues and without push from high levels of nitrogen and other artificial fertilizers, various monitored organic standards can be used in the cultivation of rye. One of the highest standards is represented by Demeter quality. Rye flour can be stored for several years provided that it is dry (below 14 percent) and hermetically sealed so that no further oxygen can cause quality degradation through oxidation. Another way to benefit from the advantages of rye grain is to eat bread or other baked goods made from whole rye grain or rye flour. Baked products made with 100 percent rye should be treated with what is called sourdough before baking, which in principle replaces the wheat’s gluten. If this is not done, the dough will be very firm and hardly edible.
Preparation tips
Rye grains, rye meal and rye flour are, in principle, unrestrictedly suitable for baking. However, rye flours are darker than wheat flours and are rarely used for cake baking. Rye flour is very suitable for baking bread and rolls. The slightly sour taste of baked goods made from rye is due to the use of sourdough. It is necessary because rye flour needs an acid environment to keep the fermentation gases of the yeast in the dough, otherwise the baked goods would become inedibly hard.
