Wheat is the oldest of crops, with the earliest recorded cultivation more than 15,000 years ago. Today, over 4,000 varieties are grown around the world (Posner, 2000). Wheat's popularity is no doubt due to its adaptability to different environments, stability during transportation and storage and wide range of food applications.
Six categories of wheat are commonly traded: Durum, hard red spring, hard red winter, soft red winter, hard white and soft white. Durum, the hardest wheat variety, is commonly used in pasta. Hard wheat varieties, with their minimal amount of free starch and elastic gluten, are suitable for leavened bread. Soft wheat varieties, with their higher starch and lower protein content, are used for cakes, cookies and crackers.
