Wheat semolina is a form of ground wheat, i.e. a groat product obtained from the finest varieties of wheat. It is mostly used to prepare hot porridges, which are children’s favorite meals. Semolina is made from the germ and endosperm of wheat grains, which are then ground to a fine granular consistency. After it is sifted, you get a food full of carbohydrates.
When semolina is fortified, it is considered one of the best sources of iron. Therefore, those on a vegetarian diet can try all forms of semolina and see for themselves its miraculous nutritional power. Most brands that offer semolina contain as much as 50% of the recommended daily intake, which would mean that one serving of semolina contains a full 120 calories.
Semolina also contains gluten and should not be suitable for those on a strict gluten-free diet. A well-known substitute for wheat semolina is buckwheat groats or rice groats.
Semolina can be prepared in various ways, and semolina porridge prepared with water or milk is common in our country. It can be prepared as a sweet meal, but also as a savory dish. It is added as an ingredient to various types of pasta, sweets, so we have it in dumplings, gnocchi, couscous, alba, fried specialties, etc.
When it comes to wheat semolina, which is produced by finely grinding wheat and sifting flour, it should be said that in modern technology it is obtained by separating the starchy part from the bran, and then grinding it once more to obtain a fine structure. White semolina, which is a favorite among children, is obtained from a soft type of wheat. If it is made from durum wheat, then it is yellow in color and has a slightly different use in the kitchen. White is used more for porridges, sweets, puddings, and yellow for salty dishes.
In addition to wheat semolina, there is also corn semolina, as well as semolina obtained from rice grains.
One of the better producers in our region explained the production of wheat semolina type 400 as follows: wheat semolina is made similarly to T 400 flour, that is, from the central part of the wheat grain; the only difference is that at a given moment the grain is removed from the grinding process and then it has a stronger granulation compared to classic flour; granulation leads to a size of 0.5 mm.
We will also find semolina under the names semolina and semolina. In fact, they are grains that have a size of 0.3 to 1 mm. When semolina is produced, much finer particles are obtained, almost like flour, so they are sifted afterwards. The semolina grains are either angular or round, and according to their size they can be divided into fine semolina with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.475 mm, then medium semolina with a diameter of 0.475 to 0.6 mm and coarse semolina with a diameter of 0.6 to 1 mm.
Why should we consider semolina as a healthy food and possibly include it in our regular diet?
First of all, it is semolina rich in calcium. Although there is a small amount of calcium in the whole grain of wheat, semolina or semolina porridge contains a lot of calcium carbonate. In fact, there are 235 mg of calcium in each serving of semolina. By adding just one cup of skim milk, the amount of calcium carbonate can be increased to 551 mg, which is half of the body’s daily needs. Thanks to semolina for breakfast (in childhood) many children have healthy teeth.
Wheat semolina is full of iron. If you suffer from iron deficiency, you must be very careful because such a condition leads to anemia. Iron is a very important mineral in our red blood cells because it carries oxygen to all the cells in our body. If you want to improve the content of this nutrient, you can rely on semolina because it is rich in iron phosphate. More precisely, there are 11 mg of iron in each portion of semolina.
Semolina is full of carbohydrates and protein. The great thing is that semolina is an excellent source of natural carbohydrates from the whole grain of wheat, as it is made from the endosperm. What is endosperm? It is the most important part of the kernel and is responsible for the growth of the grain when it is sown. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and various vitamins. In fact, in each portion of semolina we have 4 g of protein and 24 g of carbohydrates.
Wheat semolina – a pack of B vitamins. If you’ve ever wondered what the differences are between semolina and oatmeal, here’s the answer. Both types of porridge contain vitamin B complex (except vitamin B12), but semolina is the absolute winner. A serving of oatmeal will give you 3-4% of the recommended daily intake of niacin and folate, and semolina will give you twice as much. In fact, there are 45 mg of folate in a tablespoon of semolina, which is 11% of the recommended daily intake. There is also 1.3 mg of niacin, which is about 8% of the recommended daily intake. Among other things, this is one of the reasons why semolina porridge is always on the list of recommended foods for feeding babies and children.
The nutritional composition of 100 g of dry semolina would look like this: proteins 13 g or 25% of the required daily intake; fats, only 1 g or 2% of the required daily intake; dietary fiber 4 g or 16% of the required daily intake and carbohydrates 73 g or 24% of the required daily intake.
When it comes to cooked semolina, the composition will change a little. Then there are 4 g of protein, 0.3 g of fat, 1 g of dietary fiber and 23 g of carbohydrates.
It is clear that the amount of carbohydrates is the highest compared to all other components, so people who follow a low carb diet will avoid this food. Like everything else, semolina should be eaten in moderation and not every day.
The significant presence of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium (12%), phosphorus (14%), potassium (5%), copper (9%), manganese (31%) and the aforementioned calcium (7%), make semolina desirable food in the diet of growing children.
Although semolina is an excellent source of nutrients and useful substances, its consumption should not be overdone. It is a food rich in calories, especially if semolina is prepared with sugar, milk and some other sweet additives (cocoa, for example).
Recipes with semolina
Semolina with milk (basic recipe). The most commonly prepared form of semolina is the classic sweet semolina porridge with milk and sugar. For this quick treat, which children love, you need 10 level spoons of white wheat semolina, 5 spoons of sugar and 1 liter of milk. Put the milk in a saucepan and wait until it starts to boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat a little and slowly pour in the semolina, stirring all the time to prevent lumps from forming. So you mix and cook for a few minutes. When it thickens to the desired consistency, add sugar and mix well once more.
Pour the finished porridge into serving bowls, then sprinkle with cocoa or chocolate powder.
Semolina with orange, cinnamon and bananas. For this recipe, you need 100 g of semolina, 800 ml of milk, 1 vanilla sugar, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 2 bananas, 1 orange, a little honey and cinnamon. Heat the milk in a pot and add sugar and vanilla sugar, then wait for the milk to boil. Add the semolina to the pot and stir until it is well cooked. In a bowl on the side, prepare the squeezed orange and honey and mix.
When the semolina is ready, you pour it into a plate, slice the banana slices over it, and then pour orange and lemon juice over everything. Finally, sprinkle with cinnamon powder.
Semolina and apple cake. This delicious cake is very easy to prepare. You need 5-6 apples, a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, a cup of semolina, baking powder, a little butter and cinnamon.
You will wash the apples well, then peel and grate them. You will add cinnamon to them. In another bowl, you will mix flour, semolina and baking powder.
Grease the container in which you will bake the cake, then put a layer of grated apples in it, then a mixture of semolina and flour, and so on until you use up the ingredients, with the fact that at the end there should be a dry mixture of semolina. Press each layer well as you stack.
Melt the butter, then pour over what you ordered.
Bake the cake on a program with ventilation and at a moderate temperature, so that it is airy.
Chocolate semolina cream. For five servings of this delicious treat, you will need 3 tablespoons of sugar, 50 g of semolina, a teaspoon of cocoa powder, 100 g of milk chocolate and 2 cups of milk.
Heat the milk and add finely grated chocolate to it, followed by cocoa and sugar. Mix well, then put on moderate heat. Add a little bit of semolina to it and stir constantly. Cook for about 20 minutes until a finely thickened cream is formed.
Once done, pour into serving bowls and then chill in the fridge as it is served cold.
Dumplings. The favorite soup dumplings are made very quickly according to this recipe. You need half a kg of flour, milk, egg, a little margarine, half a teaspoon of salt and 3 to 4 tablespoons of semolina. Cook semolina with milk, but make a thinner porridge. Let it cool down a bit, pour the flour into a large bowl, then add the cooked semolina. Put a little margarine, one beaten egg and salt in all that. Knead, then add more flour if necessary. It is important that the dough does not stick to the hands. When you roll out the mixture, take out and shape the dumplings, then place them in boiling water.
