- What is durum wheat used for?
- What is the difference between durum wheat and common wheat?
- Pasta cooking time affects GI (glycemic index)
- Does durum wheat have gluten?
What is the difference between durum wheat and common wheat? Are durum wheat pasta he althier? Check what nutritional values are included in durum pasta and why gluten-free people can tolerate products with durum wheat.
Nutritionists agree that products based ondurum wheatare much more beneficial for our body, both in terms of nutrition and diet, than those made of common wheat.
Triticum durum, ordurum wheat , is one of the oldest crops that have been cultivated for centuries in China, the Middle East and North Africa. Durum wheat grows best in a dry, continental climate.
What is durum wheat used for?
Due to its properties (hard endosperm, high gluten content, high glassiness and high content of dyes), durum wheat is mainly used for the production of pasta. Durum wheat flour, called semolina, is more rich in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals than regular wheat flour (Triticum vulgaris).
Pastaobtainedfrom durum flourare characterized by a light yellow color and much higher hardness. Couscous is also made of durum wheat.
What is the difference between durum wheat and common wheat?
Durum wheat flour containsmore phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, as well as B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6) and acid foil than plain wheat flour. Durum also contains lutein, which protects against free radicals and supports eyesight.
Pasta made of wholegrain durum flour contains about 323 kcal per 100 g, of which 12 g is protein, 2 g fats, 64 g carbohydrates and as much as 7 g fiber. In turn, type 450 double-egg pasta made of wheat flour contains as much as 368 kcal, including 75.8 g of carbohydrates, 11.1 g of protein, 1.6 g of fat, and only 2.4 g of fiber.
Durum wheat flour also has alower glycemic index , which results in a lower sugar and insulin throw than after eating plain refined wheat flour.
Pasta cooking time affects GI (glycemic index)
Importantly, the IG is influenced by the heat treatment time. In other words, if you cook durum wheat pasta for 20 minutes, it has an indexglycemic 58, when we cook it only 12 minutes, this value drops to 34. Common wheat pasta has about 70 GI.
Does durum wheat have gluten?
Yes, there is gluten in durum wheat as well as in other varieties. It happens, however, that people who are intolerant to common wheat react positively to durum wheat products. This is due to the different protein content in individual wheat varieties.
The article uses the press material of the Mamma Mia pasta manufacturer.
Press materials