Spelt Triticum aestivum var. spelta is a subspecies of common wheat. It has been grown in Europe for about 300 years. Spelt was introduced to the United States in the 1890s. Most of the nations spelt acreage is in Ohio. That state grows between 100,000 and 200,000 acres of spelt annually, about 10 times more than any other state. A few varieties of spelt were developed in the early part of this century. They are no longer identifiable, and spelt has been considered an undeveloped crop. In 1986, The Ohio State University released an improved winter variety, named Champ. Spelt is often erroneously called speltz. Sometimes emmer, another subspecies of wheat that includes dururn wheat, is incorrectly called spelt.

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