HONORÉ HOURANI

Honoré Hourani is our principal agricultural product and a grain with quite a story to tell.

This ancient durum wheat has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years and is prized for its flavor, digestibility, and baking performance. This ancient heirloom grain was buried deep within the Masada Fortress in 73 CE to protect it from Roman siege. It was excavated from the ruins by archaeologists in the 1960s.

A small quantity of seed eventually made its way to us through a donation from Washington State University's Bread Lab, whose source was USDA seed bank material. Starting with just 40 seeds, we propagated more than 35,000 pounds using regenerative organic practices and dry farming, without irrigation. Today, Honoré Farm and Mill is the only organization in the United States selling Honoré Hourani commercially.

We grew Hourani for three years before ever tasting it ourselves. Bakers now describe its flavor as reminiscent of buttered corn on a summer day, with a richness that enhances both the taste and nutritional value of baked goods.

Nutritionally, Hourani offers higher protein, the full spectrum of B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. It also has a glycemic index of 52, significantly lower than refined white flour and many commercial "whole wheat" products, which often have glycemic indices in the 70s.

The grain also tells a story of climate resilience. Its deep root system helps sequester carbon, while its ability to thrive without irrigation makes it well suited to a changing climate. By growing Hourani, we are helping increase the biodiversity of our staple food crops while demonstrating a more resilient approach to grain production.

Honoré Hourani Wheat Culinary Details 

Honoré Hourani is a versatile durum wheat and it is a traditional variety for making pasta  noodles, but also makes delicious bread, pizza dough, and pastries. The flavor profile reminds  us of sweet, buttery corn on a summer day, and as one baker relayed, Hourani bread has “a  nutty, yeasty fragrance, with a moist, chewy crumb. In short, it is an exceptional flour.” 

All Honoré flour, including Honoré Hourani, is regeneratively farmed and stone-milled into 100% whole wheat resulting in more nutritious and flavorful flour than commercial whole wheat products.