Today we’re talking about capers from Pantelleria, tiny but very rich in flavour. But there’s more, we’ll also discover caper berries, caper leaves and the caper production farm that brings Pantelleria’s tradition to the world. Ready to go?
- Meat & Seafood add remove
-
Cured meats & Cheeses
add remove
- Pasta & Pizza add remove
-
Preserves & Condiments
add remove
- Truffles, legumes & mushrooms add remove
- Desserts & snacks add remove
- Organic
- Tasting Selections
- Christmas
- Regali aziendali
- Brands
- Meat & Seafood add remove
-
Cured meats & Cheeses
add remove
- Pasta & Pizza add remove
-
Preserves & Condiments
add remove
- Truffles, legumes & mushrooms add remove
- Desserts & snacks add remove
- Organic
- Tasting Selections
- Christmas
- Regali aziendali
- Brands
Search in blog
Latest posts
-
Capers, what a taste!Read more
-
Ferragosto’s picnicPosted in: The foodie's journal2778 viewsRead more
Ferragosto is approaching, whip out the picnic baskets! What are we taking? All quick preparations to make and practical to carry and eat - dishes and cutlery are hardly needed! The secret? The best Italian cured meats.
-
Precious grains from the Vercelli plainPosted in: The foodie's journal3016 viewsRead more
Have you ever thought about how much work goes behind a packet of rice? How important the territory, the processing techniques and the packaging method are? To think all of this doesn’t affect the taste is a huge mistake. And while...
-
Who says there’s only tuna in oil?Posted in: The foodie's journal3698 viewsRead more
From Marzamemi’s tuna fish factories…The greater amberjack! Tradition and environmental sustainability: fishing is exclusively by angling in the Mediterranean, the processing entirely made by hand, in short it’s a delight to always keep...
-
When whole is better than slicedPosted in: The foodie's journal3669 viewsRead more
We already know that dry-cured ham is one of the best and most symbolic products of our territory. But do you also know what the differences are, in terms of taste, between a sliced one and a whole one? Read our article and make room in...
Popular posts
-
ITALIAN PASTA TYPES AND SHAPES REGION BY REGIONPosted in: The foodie's journal154849 viewsHow many pasta shapes exist in Italy? Around three hundred! Any pasta shapes that you can think of has been created over the years and combined with a specific sauce. First of all, Italian pasta shapes are divided into two main...Read more
-
ITALIAN RICE CULTIVARSPosted in: The foodie's journal46369 viewsIn Italy rice is rarely seen as a side dish; it is an actual ingredient used in both traditional and more innovative dishes. Timbales, risotto, supplì stuffed rice balls, rice meatballs, rice salads…The Italian regional culinary...Read more
-
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRANA PADANO AND PARMIGIANO REGGIANOPosted in: The foodie's journal38396 viewsParmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses have a similar shape, colour and paste, but they follow completely different product specifications as requested by their respective protection consortia. Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano...Read more
-
DISCOVERING ITALIAN RAW MILK CHEESESPosted in: The foodie's journal33013 viewsRaw milk means milk which does not undergo any heat treatment prior to becoming cheese. According to Slow Food, cheeses made from this type of milk, i.e. raw milk Italian cheeses, are the only ones that preserve an invisible bacterial...Read more
-
‘NDUJA FROM CALABRIA: FOOD PAIRING AND RECIPESPosted in: The foodie's journal29883 views‘Nduja from Calabria is definitely addictive; I am sure of it. One taste and you’re in love, because ‘Nduja salami spread is spicy but aromatic, it is creamy, it can enhance the flavour of many dishes and it takes you all the way to...Read more
Blog tags
Ancient wheat flour, Italian heritage
Today’s topic is ancient wheat flour. There are many kinds, since wheat’s world is vast and complex, made of many different varieties.
The Triticum durum – scientific name of the wheat – is an incredibly ancient cereal that has played an essential role in the evolution of mankind.
Remember the Fertile Crescent, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers? That’s exactly where the cultivation of wheat pushed the first groups of people – we’re talkind about 7000 a.C. – to create a network of irrigation channels.
Then walls to defend the harvest, armies to defend the walls and slaves to extend the channels followed. The first civil society was built on carbohydrates, no doubt about it.
Now, why should we care to know how the flour we consume is produced? Why is it so important to consciously choose the flours we bring to the table?
One day wouldn’t be enough to answer this question, let’s just say that those like us who believe in the sacred and indissoluble bond between food and its territory, certainly cannot be satisfied with a flour produced who knows how and who knows where, from wheat grown with unknown chemicals.
Durum wheat and common wheat
Let's clarify: common wheat and durum wheat are two different species of wheat, the Triticum Vulgare or Aestivum (common wheat) and the Triticum Turgidum Durum (durum wheat).
Common wheat (also known as bread or soft wheat) has round, soft, opaque and crumbly grains – hence its name. From its milling you get a flour with very thin granules with medium-low toughness, classified as 00, 0, 1, 2 or whole wheat flour, in order from the most refined to the richest of the original components of the grain.
Durum wheat (also known as pasta or hard wheat)has elongated and tough grains, really hard to break. From its milling you get – from the most to the least refined - semolina, semolato, whole grain and durum wheat flour.
Durum wheat is richer in protein and absorbs more water than the common one, also characterized by a higher glycemic index.
Common wheat flour: Verna and Sieve
Now that we learned all we need about common wheat, let’s analyze two varieties of ancient wheat, amazing for baking.
The first one is Verna wheat, born from thecrossbreeding between two varieties of wheat owned by Ente Toscano Sementi, the Est Mottin 72 and the Mont Calme 245 wheat, patented in 1953.
As the name suggests, was planted for the first time in the Casentino territory of Mount Verna with the aim of increasing wheat production by enlarging the cultivated territory and moving to high altitudes.
As we noticed when we talked about the uses of Verna wheat dough, it is super resistant to adverse weather conditions, cold and diseases and has optimal yield. About its taste, it is rustic, strong and rich in flavour.
Let’s move on to another very special ancient wheat flour called Sieve. Its origins aren’t clear and we do not know the exact date this exceptional product was created.
Some people say Sieve wheat is a direct descendant of the wheat grown between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, practically coming to us in its purest form.
The cultivation would then be at least 30.000 years old andwould belong to a group of homo sapiens located in the area of Bilancino, on the banks of the Sieve.
There’s no doubt that Sieve wheat is one of Tuscany’s undisputed gems and the perfect ingredient for a bread like you’ve never tried before.
Differently from the refined kind, ancient wheat flour is very low in gluten and therefore extremely more digestible. Forget the compact, brick-heavy bread, with this flour you’ll get a flavourful and fragrant loaf with simply exceptional large bubbles.
Durum wheat flour Senatore Cappelli
Durum wheat flour Senatore Cappelli was born in 1915 thanks to the work of the geneticist Nazzareno Strampelli.
However, Senator Raffaele Cappelli had the merit of starting the agricultural transformation in Apulia and personally support Strampelli’s project, allowing him to carry out his experiments in the fields of his property near Foggia.
In the end, Nazzareno managed to obtain the Senatore Cappelli wheat, an exceptional variety in terms of strength, seed quantity and nutritional value.
Just imagine that in the 1920’s Mussolini turned it into his main weapon during the “Battle for grain”, the program to make Italy become totally self-sufficient in production.
He didn’t only win the battle, he also appointed Nazzareno as Senator in 1929. Strampelli accepted but, just to be clear, was never part of the regime. His heart stayed loyal to the wheat fields.
Why choose ancient wheat flour
Actually, the right question would be why not choose it. History-wise, well, we said it all. Wheat has shaped our civilization and to not protect its best varieties, choosing industrial flour, would go against all of our gastronomic culture.
Territory-wise, what better way to promote its wealth than to celebrate its more traditional goodness?
We could also talk about gluten, caloric intake, glycemic index, but we prefer to talk about what we know best, the taste. Only ancient wheat has the true taste of wheat, a pure fruit of the earth still cultivated and processed like the old days.
Related products
-
Ancient Verna common wheat flour - ORGANIC - 1Kg
Price: €4.90 -
Durum wheat flour Senatore Cappelli - ORGANIC - 1Kg
Price: €6.90 -
Ancient Sieve common wheat flour - ORGANIC - 1Kg
Price: €5.90
Related posts
-
PRODOTTI TIPICI ITALIANI IN GERMANIA E OLTREOCEANO: QUANTI INGANNI!
Posted in: The foodie's journal11/02/20206468 viewsL’etichetta che indica la provenienza di un prodotto è sinonimo di garanzia. Ad ogni paese viene associata una...Read more
-
STRACHITUNT DOP: STORIA E TRADIZIONI
Posted in: The foodie's journal21/02/20204971 viewsLo Strachitunt DOP è un formaggio a pasta molle unico al mondo, tipico delle valli circostanti Bergamo, in particolar...Read more
-
PRODOTTI TIPICI PUGLIESI: QUELLI CHE PIÙ AMIAMO RISPLENDONO COME L’ORO
Posted in: The foodie's journal21/02/20205436 viewsLa Puglia, caratterizzata da distese di olivi e campi di grano che attraversano la regione fino ad affacciarsi sulle...Read more
-
IL CIBO DI QUALITÀ ITALIANO: PRODOTTI TIPICI DOP
Posted in: The foodie's journal21/02/20205566 viewsL’Italia è un paese dalla tradizione culinaria estremamente ricca e ogni regione offre prodotti tipici frutto di...Read more
-
COSA È OGGI IL CIBO GOURMET?
Posted in: The foodie's journal21/02/20205156 viewsGourmet è una parola molto alla moda al giorno d’oggi, ne spesso usata per descrivere una pietanza di grande classe,...Read more