Durum wheat or common wheat: what is the difference
Durum and common (soft) wheat are different species, and for pasta that matters: in Italy dry pasta for the home market may be made only from durum. Durum is milled into semolina, common wheat into flour.
| 🌾 Durum wheat | 🌾 Common wheat | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is milled into (DPR 187/2001) | Semolina, a granular, sharp-edged meal; also semolato and wholemeal semolina | Flour of types 00, 0, 1, 2 and wholemeal |
| Dry pasta in Italy | The only permitted raw material | Banned (tolerance up to 3%); allowed only for other EU countries and export |
| Fresh pasta | Allowed | Allowed |
| Minimum protein in milled products (dry matter) | Semolina 10.5% | Flour 00: 9.0%, 0: 11.0% |
| Grain protein per 100 g (USDA) | 13.7 g | 12.6 g (hard red winter), 10.7 g (soft white) |
| Grain energy and fat per 100 g (USDA) | 339 kcal, fat 2.47 g | 327–340 kcal, fat 1.54–1.99 g |
Which to choose
For dry pasta you need durum wheat: its semolina is higher in protein, and Italian law requires it. Common wheat is the raw material for bread and for home-made fresh or egg pasta. If a dry pasta pack lists soft wheat flour, it is a different, non-Italian type of product.
Sources
- DPR 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187, art. 1 — sfarinati di grano tenero (Normattiva)
- DPR 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187, art. 2 — sfarinati di grano duro (Normattiva)
- DPR 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187, art. 6 — pasta di semola di grano duro (Normattiva)
- USDA FoodData Central 169721, Wheat, durum
- USDA FoodData Central 168890, Wheat, hard red winter
- USDA FoodData Central 169720, Wheat, soft white
Themes
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