Grünkern is spelt harvested while still green and unripe, then kiln-roasted over beechwood fire, which gives the grain a firm bite and a pronounced smoky, nutty, hearty flavour. A traditional grain of southern Germany — above all the Bauland region of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria — it is prized in German country cooking for thick soups, savoury dumplings and patties, and its young-grain harvest leaves it higher in protein than the same spelt ripened. Because it is a true wheat it contains gluten and is unsafe for people with coeliac disease.