Einkorn is a cereal grown since Antiquity and is part of Haute-Provence's agricultural heritage. It has the particularity of never having been genetically manipulated and is therefore an authentic cereal, unchanged over the millennia. What's more, producers still grow it traditionally using unique know-how. Its production area spans four departments: Drôme, Vaucluse, Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
The altitude and sparse limestone plains of Haute-Provence do not allow for a wide variety of crops to be grown. Yet einkorn was able to develop at over 400 metres in altitude, in this unspoilt environment. Its very long vegetative cycle, of around 11 months, gives it an authentic flavour and exceptional quality.
Appreciated for its mild hazelnut taste, einkorn is a high-mineral, high-fibre cereal with low gluten content. Renowned for its digestibility, it also contains the eight amino acids the body needs!
In the local diet, einkorn is an excellent alternative to wheat and rice, and its flour is used to make bread, pasta and cakes.
The picturesque village of Monieux, in Vaucluse, hosts the Einkorn and Gastronomy Festival on the first Sunday in September, with a programme including stands selling local products, activities and medieval shows.