Semolina

Semolina is a coarse flour milled from durum wheat, defined by its grain size, a durum semolina must have grains large enough that no more than 79 percent pass through a 315-micron sieve, and by its high protein and gluten content, which makes it especially suited to pasta and also strengthens the crust of bread and pizza. Beyond pasta it is used in savory dishes such as couscous and the Indian preparations upma, dosa and idli, and in sweet dishes such as European puddings, the Middle Eastern cake basbousa, and Indian halwa. A 100-gram serving provides 360 calories, 72.83 grams of carbohydrate and 12.68 grams of protein, with 23 percent of the daily value of thiamine; durum semolina is pale yellow, while common-wheat semolina, called farina in the United States, is beige and used more often in desserts.