wheats. It arose in the Near East and spread to
the Mediterranean before Roman times, when
it was one of two major wheats. Emmer was
better suited to humid climates and had a
starchy grain, while durum was better suited
to semiarid conditions and had a glassy grain.
Both were used to make breads leavened and
unleavened, bulgur, couscous, injera, and
other preparations. Southern and central Italy
is now the main producer in Europe; India,
Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, and the United
States and Canada are large producers
elsewhere.
World Grain Production
The leading figure for maize is misleading
because a large fraction of the maize
harvest is used to feed animals and produce
industrial chemicals. Some wheat is also
used for animal feed, while nearly all rice
is eaten directly by humans.