Worlds of Flavor 2025: Hourani Wheat: Ancient Grain, Modern Uses

Why It Matters

Harani wheat provides a health‑friendly, drought‑tolerant alternative that can diversify the $22 billion gluten‑free market while advancing regenerative agriculture, giving chefs and institutions a tangible path to more sustainable, nutrient‑dense breads.

Key Takeaways

• Harani wheat yields 3,200 lbs per acre without irrigation.
• Durham wheat’s three chromosome sets improve digestibility over common wheat.
• Stone‑milling preserves germ and bran, enhancing nutritional value.
• French Laundry adopts Harani flour for signature “Genesis” rolls.
• Grain Gang program educates students on regenerative farming and wheat origins.

Summary

The session at Worlds of Flavor 2025 highlighted Harani wheat, an heirloom grain revived by Honore Farm and Mill. Founder Elizabeth Duff traced her personal journey from a gluten‑allergy revelation to discovering ancient wheat varieties, culminating in the cultivation of Harani – a 2,000‑year‑old strain originally stored at Masada.

Duff explained that Harani is a Durham wheat with three sets of chromosomes, making it easier to digest than common hexaploid wheat. The crop has demonstrated extraordinary agronomic performance: 3,200 lb per acre on a single seed planting, thriving without irrigation in Northern California. Stone‑milling the grain retains the full germ and bran, delivering a true 100 % whole‑grain flour that outperforms conventional roller‑milled products.

A memorable demonstration occurred at the French Laundry, where chef David Breeden sampled a sourdough loaf made from Harani flour and pledged to use it for the restaurant’s “Genesis” rolls. The narrative also included the dramatic origin of the seed—rescued from a USDA seed bank after DNA testing linked it to wheat found in the ruins of Masada—underscoring the grain’s cultural heritage.

The resurgence of Harani signals a broader renaissance in ancient grains, offering chefs, bakers, brewers, and school districts a nutritionally superior, climate‑resilient alternative. Its success illustrates how small‑scale regenerative farming can scale to commercial volumes, potentially reshaping supply chains toward more sustainable, whole‑food flour production.

Original Description

The Culinary Institute of America’s Worlds of Flavor® International Conference and Festival is widely acknowledged as our country’s most influential professional forum on world cuisines, food cultures, and flavor trends. This video from our 27th anniversary of Worlds of Flavor—Roots of Culture, Seas of Discovery: Mediterranean Culinary Tradition, Exchange and Invention in the 21st Century.

Find more information at https://www.worldsofflavor.com

General Session V: Hourani Wheat: Ancient Grain, Modern Uses

Hourani is a 2,000-year-old durum wheat originally farmed across the Fertile Crescent and now thriving in California’s Mediterranean climate. This session traces its extraordinary journey—from ancient seed to modern table—highlighting regenerative farming practices, and this heirloom wheat’s nutritional benefits and growing role in California’s culinary scene, including at kitchens like The French Laundry and breweries like Hanabi Lager Company. Learn how students at CIA at Greystone campus are engaging in R&D with Hourani through the Grain Gang, a hands-on initiative that blends sustainable agriculture with culinary innovation.

• Jennifer Breckner (Director—Programs and Special Projects, Center for Food and Beverage Leadership, CIA; Napa, CA)

• Ryan Luttrell ‘99 (Lecturing Instructor, The Culinary Institute of America; St. Helena, CA)

• Elizabeth DeRuff (Farmer and Founder, Honoré Farm and Mill; Marin County, CA)

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Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees with majors in Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Culinary Therapeutics, Food Business, Food Studies and Sustainability, Hospitality Management, and Wine and Beverage Management. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 55,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.