The history of sprouted seeds, from China to James Cook

About sprouts, beginnings and the present.

Sprouted seeds have been used in food since ancient times by various cultures. In ancient Egypt, bean and wheat seeds were sprouted and then eaten in various dishes. Also in India, pea, lentil and bean seeds were sprouted and then used in traditional recipes.

As early as 200 AD, Chinese texts mention the nutritional and medicinal benefits of sprouts. At the end of the 16th century, the Chinese physician Li Shih-Chen wrote in a famous medical treaty that sprouts from various seeds can reduce inflammation, alleviate rheumatism and strengthen the body's immune system.

Sprouts’ fight with scurvy

Around 1700 the British explorer James Cook initiated the cultivation on ships exploring the world's oceans of sprouts from wheat berries. These were used in sailors' diets to combat scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Being a lethal disease and with impressive clinical manifestations, it was necessary since those times to find solutions to supplement the diet of sailors with vitamins and minerals.

Later, in the 19th century, the German scientist Julius von Sachs discovered that sprouted seeds contain many important nutrients and enzymes that can help improve digestion and absorption of nutrients from food.

For more information on the modern history of sprouts and microgreens we recommend the article "Sprouts and microgreens, between war and peace".