The Toughest of Wheat

• Durum wheat, also called macaroni wheat, is a variety of wheat grown around the world. The name "durum" comes from a Latin word meaning hard, and refers to the tough texture of the wheat kernel. Because of its low gluten content, durum is a poor grain for making bread, but its high protein content makes it a good source of nutrients. Because durum is poorly suited for bread, growers raise it mainly for use in pasta.

Processing Durum

• To make pasta, the durum wheat grains must first be cleaned to remove contaminants. A flour mill then grinds them into semolina. Semolina comes in a range of textures, but the typical product is coarser than normal bread flour. Adding water creates a paste. By forming this paste into different shapes, manufacturers create a wide range of different types of pasta.

Restoring the Nutrients

• Enrichment is a very common part of flour production; it can also be called fortification. Because milling removes the bran and germ of the wheat, it also takes away some of the nutrients. The enrichment process adds some of these nutrients back in. To be defined as enriched in the United States, flour has to contain specified levels of added thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid and iron. Other minerals, such as calcium, are also found in enriched flour.

Enrichment Controversy

• Although enriched durum semolina is still common in pasta, it has its critics. Critics of enriched flour advocate the use of whole-wheat flour as an alternative, arguing that enrichment only replaces some of the nutrients lost when the wheat is processed. By simply retaining its bran and germ, they contend, the durum will retain more of its nutritional value.