Emmer
Also known as: Farro, Emmer wheat, Farro medio
One of the oldest wheats (Triticum dicoccum), a hulled relative of durum wheat sold in Italy as farro; it contains gluten and gives rustic wholemeal pasta.
Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) is one of the oldest cultivated wheats: a hulled wheat domesticated in the Fertile Crescent about 10,000 years ago and a close relative of durum wheat. In Italy it is called farro dicocco or farro medio, and in English-speaking cooking it is often sold simply as farro.
Like spelt, emmer keeps its husk after threshing and must be dehulled before milling. Today it is grown on a small scale, mainly in the hills of central Italy and in other parts of Europe. Farro della Garfagnana from Tuscany is protected in the EU as a protected geographical indication (PGI).
For pasta, emmer is milled into semolina or, more often, wholemeal flour and mixed with water. De Cecco makes the Farro Integrale shapes of De Cecco Pasta Bio from 100% organic wholemeal emmer flour (spaghetti, penne, tortiglioni, sagnette), and Felicetti uses emmer in Felicetti Organic and in the single-grain Monograno Felicetti line. Emmer pasta is darker, with a rustic, slightly sweet and nutty taste and a firm bite.
Emmer should not be confused with spelt (Triticum spelta) or einkorn (Triticum monococcum): in Italy all three may be sold as farro, so it is worth checking the botanical name on the pack (dicocco, spelta or monococco).
Emmer is a wheat and contains gluten. It falls under the EU labelling rules for cereals containing gluten (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II) and is unsuitable for people with coeliac disease.
Facts
| Raw material | Dehulled grain of emmer (Triticum dicoccum), a hulled wheat |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy (central hills) and other parts of Europe; origin: Fertile Crescent |
| Main use | Wholemeal farro pasta, soups, grain salads |
How it connects to Pasta
Emmer ← contains ← Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- Where it is found
- De Cecco Ditali Rigati n.59 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Fettuccia n.150 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Penne Mezzane Rigate n.241 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Penne Rigate n.41 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Sagnette Abruzzesi n.89 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Spaghetti n.12 Farro Integrale Biologici, De Cecco Spaghettoni Quadrati n.413 Farro Integrale Bio, De Cecco Tortiglioni n.23 Farro Integrale Biologici, Melissa Olikis Alesis Spaghetti Dikokko, Melissa Olikis Alesis Pennes Rige Dikokko
and 17 more
Felicetti Spaghetti di Farro Bio, Felicetti Penne Rigate di Farro Bio, Felicetti Rigatini di Farro Bio, Felicetti Monograno Farro Spaghetti, Felicetti Monograno Farro Linguine, Felicetti Monograno Farro Ditalini, Felicetti Monograno Farro Penne Rigate, Felicetti Monograno Farro Rigatini, Felicetti Monograno Farro Fusilli, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Penne Rigate di Farro, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pizzichi di Farro, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Spaghetti di Farro, Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine di Farro all'Uovo Bio, De Cecco Pasta Bio (Farro Integrale shapes: 100% organic wholemeal emmer flour), Felicetti Organic, Monograno Felicetti, Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
- Similar and different
- 🌾 Durum wheat, Spelt
Frequently asked questions
Is farro the same as spelt?
Not exactly. In Italy farro can mean three hulled wheats: emmer (farro dicocco), spelt (farro spelta) and einkorn (farro monococco). Most Italian farro pasta, such as De Cecco Farro Integrale, is made from emmer.
Is it true that ancient grains like emmer are gluten-free?
No, that is a myth. Emmer is a wheat and contains gluten, so emmer pasta is unsuitable for people with coeliac disease.
What does emmer pasta taste like?
It is darker than ordinary pasta, with a rustic, slightly sweet and nutty flavour and a firm bite; it suits vegetable, legume and mushroom sauces.
What to read next
- De Cecco Spaghettoni Quadrati n.413 Farro Integrale Bio — Long round-section pasta by De Cecco, No. 413 in the brand’s numbering, made from organic wholemeal emmer flour.
- Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta — Wholegrain, spelt, buckwheat, legume, rice and corn pasta; in the EU "gluten-free" means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram.
- De Cecco Ditali Rigati n.59 Farro Integrale Biologici — Small soup pasta by De Cecco, No. 59 in the brand’s numbering, made from organic wholemeal emmer flour.
- De Cecco Fettuccia n.150 Farro Integrale Biologici — Long flat ribbon pasta by De Cecco, No. 150 in the brand’s numbering, made from organic wholemeal emmer flour.
- De Cecco Penne Mezzane Rigate n.241 Farro Integrale Biologici — Short tube pasta by De Cecco, No. 241 in the brand’s numbering, made from organic wholemeal emmer flour.
Similar
Khorasan wheat · Barley flour · 🌾 Common wheat · Red lentil flour · Quinoa · Pea flour
Sources
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register (Farro della Garfagnana PGI)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex II (EUR-Lex)
- De Cecco — Spaghetti n° 12 Farro Integrale Biologici (ingredients)