Durum wheat semolina

Durum wheat, in contrast to common wheat Triticum aestivum L., which is used to make bread and oriental style noodles, is the hardest wheat and durum milling produces a coarse particle called semolina.

The typical durum grain is very hard, vitreous, and amber-colored with high protein content. Durum wheat is used to produce a range of food products, such as semolina, pasta, burghul wheat, couscous, and desserts.

When durum is milled, the endosperm is ground into a granular product called  semolina. A mixture of water and semolina forms a stiff dough. Pasta dough is then  forced through dies, or metal discs with holes, to create hundreds of different shapes.

Semolina has a larger particle size than flour, and if a significant proportion of the particles are small, they can affect water relationships in processes (i.e., hydration rates) and can lead to some product quality issues such as sloughing (i.e., the breaking down of pasta product during preparation).

High protein semolina from durum wheats of good physical condition will generally yield semolina of uniform particle size with a minimum number of starchy semolina particles, and will hydrate evenly during mixing to produce pasta that is strong and elastic. When cooked, the pasta will swell leaving minimal residue in the cooking water, remaining firm to the point of serving. Semolina with low protein will produce pasta products deficient in some or all of these characteristics.

The main durum-growing regions are the Middle East, southern Europe, North Africa, the former Soviet Union, North America (including Mexico), and India. Worldwide, durum is grown approximately over 13 m ha with an approximate annual production of 30 mt.
Durum wheat semolina