Farro
By Nancy Honig, FCS Agent
I am a big fan of cooking shows and learning about ingredients I may not be familiar with. I recently watched a show where they cooked farro, and although I had eaten it several time I hadn’t cooked it myself. It peaked my curiosity, making me look for information on farro and purchase some to cook.
Farro is an ancient grain that belongs to the wheat family. Originating in the Middle East it has been found in the tombs of Egyptian kings and is said to have fed the Roman Legions. Italians have dined on farro for centuries. It’s now gaining traction in the U.S. with vegetarians and families who are looking for healthy and filling whole grains. Packed with nutrients, nutty flavor, and a chewy texture, it is used in risotto-style dishes, soups, stews, casseroles, and sautés.
Not all farro is created equally, there are basically three different varieties. There is farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). Emmer is what you’ll find sold most often in the U.S. It’s a harder grain than einkorn and is often confused with spelt, which is another type of grain altogether. How farro is processed is what actually determines its flavor, and most importantly, cook time.
Whole farro retains all the grain’s nutrients; has the most nutrients per serving and has the strongest flavor. requires soaking the grains overnight and still typically takes at least 30 minutes to cook.
Semi-pearled farro, in which the part of the bran has been removed, still contains some fiber. This version is the best of both worlds with half of the grain intact and a reduced cooking time.
Pearled farro: is what you’ll find in most American grocery stores. It doesn’t have as much flavor as other varieties and has no bran at all. It has the shortest cook time.
Farro is a forgiving grain to cook with. Simply follow the directions on the package. Be especially aware if it is whole farro, that it needs to soak overnight.
Why give farro a try? It is higher in plant-based protein than rice and is quite hearty and full of nutty flavor. It also contains fiber, antioxidants, and minerals, including iron, magnesium, and zinc. Just one cup of whole grain emmer farro can provide a whopping 20% of the daily recommended fiber intake. This is similar to quinoa, but higher than a lot of other popular grains, such as brown rice, pasta and couscous. Whole grains such as farro are associated with improved health because they contain a wide range of antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols and selenium. When combined with other plant-based foods, such as legumes, farro offers a complete protein source. This is good news for vegetarians, as well as anyone looking for plant-based, high-protein food sources.
Cooked farro is a great filler to throw into soups, stews, and casseroles since it easily absorbs flavors. It also adds a great nutty taste and a dense chewy texture to pilafs and salads. If you haven’t every tried it I encourage you to look for it the next time you are shopping and give it a try!
