Grain
Durum
B tier
Durum is the commercial name for hard amber wheat from Triticum durum, milled primarily into semolina and durum flour for pasta, couscous, and regional breads. High protein, vitreous endosperm, and strong tenacious gluten give dried pasta its golden colour and al dente bite; the trade label Durum signals pasta-grade hard wheat rather than common bread wheat. In kitchens, Durum becomes spaghetti, penne, and fresh egg-pasta blends, North African couscous, bulgur, and dense country breads. Whole berries and cracked durum cook as hearty grains; soaked and fermented doughs appear in flatbreads and specialty sourdoughs where a firm, nutty crumb is wanted.
Also known as: Italian durum pasta wheat, Canadian durum export grades, North African durum for couscous, Iberian durum for pasta and regional breads
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Durum wheat lineages emerged from Near Eastern tetraploid domestication and spread through Mediterranean drylands.
Southern Italian pasta traditions fixed durum semolina as the preferred pasta raw material.
Mechanised pasta factories industrialised Durum as a global commodity class.
Durum acreage expanded on the northern Great Plains to supply domestic and export semolina mills.
International pasta standards and trade grades codified Durum quality for protein, vitreousness, and colour.
Specialty and organic Durum lots supported artisanal bronze-die pasta and heritage regional breads.