Farro

For other uses, see Farro (surname).
Farro soup from Tuscany


Farro /ˈfæroʊ/ is a grain of any of three species of wheat, namely einkorn, emmer, or spelt, sold dried and cooked in water until soft. It is used as a side dish and added to salads, soups and stews.

Etymology

The English word is borrowed directly from Italian farro, first documented in English in 1828 when the botanist Samuel Frederick Gray mentioned it. It derives from Latin far, farris (spelt, grain).[1][2]

Description

Farro is made from any of three species of hulled wheat (those that retain their husks tightly and cannot be threshed): spelt (Triticum spelta), emmer (Triticum dicoccum), and einkorn (Triticum monococcum).[3] In Italian cuisine, the three species are sometimes distinguished as farro grande, farro medio, and farro piccolo.[4]

Emmer is the most common variety of farro grown in Italy, specifically in certain mountain regions of Tuscany and Abruzzo. It is considered to be of higher quality for cooking than the other two grains and thus is sometimes called "true" farro.[5] Spelt is much more commonly grown in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Confusion about the terminology for these three wheat varieties is generated by the difficult history in the taxonomy of wheat and by colloquial and regional uses of the term farro. For example, emmer grown in the Garfagnana region of Tuscany is locally known as farro.[4] Some English speakers use farro to mean steamed or boiled grain presented as salad and similar dishes, whereas in Italy it means the three grains, individually or together. Farro is sometimes translated as "spelt" in English, but this is only one of three possibilities.[6][7]

  • Triticum dicoccum, emmer wheat, produces what is sometimes called "true" farro.[5]
    Triticum dicoccum, emmer wheat, produces what is sometimes called "true" farro.[5]
  • Shrimp in farro salad
    Shrimp in farro salad

See also

References

  1. ^ "farro (noun)". OED. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Latin definition for: far, farris". Latdict. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ^ Szabó, A. T.; Hammer, K. (1996). Padulosi, S.; Hammer, K.; Heller, J. (eds.). Notes on the Taxonomy of Farro: Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, and T. spelta. 4. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Hulled Wheats, 21–22 July 1995, Castelvecchio Pascoli, Tuscany, Italy. Rome: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute. pp. 2–3.
  4. ^ a b Buerli, Markus (2006). "Farro in Italy" (PDF). The Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017 – via Bioversity International.
  5. ^ a b Hamlin, Suzanne (June 11, 1997). "Farro, Italy's Rustic Staple: The Little Grain That Could". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  6. ^ Schlegel, Rolf H. J. (2010). "Farro". Dictionary of Plant Breeding (2nd ed.). Boca Raton: CRC. p. 149. Print.
  7. ^ Julavits, Heidi (November 30, 2008). "Grain Exchange". The New York Times.