Farro

Farro is an ancient cereal grain belonging to Graminaceae family and that, thankfully, we are discovering again. The earliest traces that witness its cultivation by humans date from the VIII millennium B.C. in the region of Fertile Crescent. However, over the centuries this cereal has been forgotten because of its harvesting, more difficult than other cereals. Moreover, in comparison to other grains such as durum wheat or common wheat, even after threshing farro is still covered by glumellae, a kind of dress that adheres to the grain and that should be removed in a second process. Nowadays this very ancient cereal is making a comeback. There are three varieties of farro, spelt (Triticum spelta), emmer (Triticum dicoccum) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum), the cereal already grown in Neolithic times. Farro is a high protein food, the quantity of proteins is indeed higher that common wheat. It brings fibers, beneficial for the intestine, vitamins, such as A, group B, E and C, and mineral salts, such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium but first of all selenium, that is antioxidant against free radicals. In addition to this, thanks to the content in phytoestrogens, farro helps also keep under control the levels of cholesterol in blood. This cereal can be inserted in the diet of those people who are overweight because it has a high satiating power, however it contains gluten and for this reason it isn’t suitable for people who are gluten intolerant, while it is easy digested also by people who have problems with wheat. For what concerns the whole grain, that can be used to prepare soups, salads, plant based milk or preparations similar to risotto, you can buy dehusked farro, better than other types of farro because it preserves all the nutrients. In alternative, there is also pearled farro, that has lost bran and, as a consequence, also the benefits of the cereal. Dehusked farro requires soaking and then it should be cooked for about an hour, the time is half an hour if you choose pearled farro. Very interesting is also farro flour that can be used to prepare sweets or very tasty breads.