Wheat, and cereal crops in general, have been indispensable staples for thousands of years. They have sustained human existence since agriculture was developed in the Fertile Crescent and yet these essential plants have not received the same treatment as other agricultural products have during the recent “Farm to Table” movement that placed so much emphasis on diversity and eating locally-grown produce. That’s changing. As we rediscover the depth and breadth of the American grain economy we need to learn how to differentiate between varieties and find ways to describe how they are distinctive from one another. These adjectives can be a bit confusing without context so this is meant as a crash course to help you better navigate this new world and will hopefully allow you to divine the best uses for each type of flour. And also so you’ll know what the hell I’m talking about.