What is semolina made from, what grain? Semolina from which cereal: benefits and harms
It turns out that semolina porridge, which everyone disliked in childhood, is a very healthy product. It contains the least amount of fiber, but at the same time is rich in nutrients and is easily absorbed by the body. That is why semolina is suitable as the first complementary food for infants and for feeding people during the postoperative period, as well as for those who are on a diet. Many people still do not understand the process of cereal production, but this article will reveal all the secrets for you.
What is semolina made from - the production process
The product has gained popularity and began to be widely used quite recently. IN ancient Rus' Semolina was considered a delicacy and was served only in rich families, as it was produced in very small quantities.
- The basis of the cereal is wheat, but of a certain variety and with a low gluten content. It is impossible to make semolina by hand. Involved in its production special equipment, a complex process of selecting and preparing grains. Semolina is also called semolina.
- Cereals are ground at flour mills. The semolina production process begins with grain analysis in a special laboratory, where the percentage of gluten content and the presence of harmful impurities is determined.
- Then the selected wheat is transported through conveyors to the elevator (special storage). This is not just one room, but whole line rooms on several floors. Here the product is tempered. This procedure allows the grain to be compacted, then it is cleaned and washed.
- The next stage is grain crushing using coarse grinding technology. In this case, the product breaks and the core is freed from the outer layer. A strong air flow removes the outer shell. This part of the wheat is then ground and sifted. So the grain undergoes various technological processing.
- An important process in grain processing is the separation of bran. As a result, the product is divided into two zones. White grains of ready-made peeled cereal are poured into one, and the heavier parts of wheat - the outer shell - are poured into the other. Thus, the amount of fiber in semolina is reduced and the fat content is reduced.
- Although semolina is already ready for sale, it is once again checked by employees in the control department for various impurities, foreign odors, color and excess liquid. Some factories omit this stage of product production, so be careful when purchasing.
- It should also be taken into account that grit may have different shade. Determine quality semolina premium possible by uniform white color. But on sale you can find semolina from cream to yellow in color. The quality of the product can be determined by the shade.
Semolina - what types are there?
In addition to color and degree of grinding, the product is distinguished by type. It would seem that semolina is semolina. But depending on its type, dishes with varying degrees of friability and calorie content are obtained.
- The type of semolina involves the use different varieties wheat and is designated by three categories. Before purchasing, carefully study the packaging, which must be marked with semolina.
- If the product is made from durum wheat, it is designated “T”. The production process of this type of semolina is considered the most labor-intensive. You can identify such a product by its transparent grains of a yellowish or creamy hue.
- Dishes made from such grains turn out richer, with a subtle taste, and porridges become crumbly. Most often, this semolina is added to minced meat, casseroles and various desserts are prepared from it.
- When using soft wheat, semolina with the designation “M” is obtained. Cereals have more low cost, since its production process is cheap. This type the product stands out in white with opaque grains.
- In a dish, such semolina quickly boils and increases in volume many times over. The porridges are obtained with a pleasant light taste, uniform consistency, viscous and more liquid. Most often, semolina made from soft wheat is used to prepare infant formula.
- On sale you can also find semolina labeled “TM”. This means that you have a mixture of cereals from soft and durum wheat. The most commonly used ratio of cereals is: 80% soft and 20% hard grains.
- Choose a variety of semolina depending on what dish you will be preparing and for whom. But keep in mind that when cereal is cooked in milk, its calorie content increases to 330 kcal per 100 grams ready-made dish. While on water you get porridge with a calorie content of 80 kcal.
- Regardless of the type of product, its storage is the same - in a dry glass or ceramic container with a tight lid.
The semolina production process involves several stages, which results in the most healthy and nutritious product. In addition, each type of semolina can make your dish original and most delicious.
You can learn more about the product manufacturing process from this video:
The earliest culinary memory many of us have is semolina. Almost every child ate boiled porridge with milk at breakfast. Small, soft, very tasty and no need to chew. Does semolina have any other advantages besides taste? What is semolina made from? What does it bring - benefit or harm?
Where does semolina grow, and what are its benefits?
Still, semolina porridge is the most mysterious. For example, no one will even think about what buckwheat or oatmeal is made from. Everything is clear from the name: buckwheat means from buckwheat, and everyone knows where it grows. The situation is different with semolina porridge. The only thing that is clear is that it is prepared from semolina, but you can’t immediately answer where the semolina plantations are located where the grain grows.
The investigation into what semolina is made from, let's start with known facts, so to speak, we dance from the stove. Before becoming porridge, semolina, also known as semolina, was on the store shelf for some time, where it ended up after processing at a flour mill. It wasn't hard to find out if you just read the label on the package.
But only the factory knows what kind of grain semolina is made from. At the production site, it turned out that this was not semolina grain, but ordinary wheat. Only for the production of semolina, wheat with a high gluten content is selected. Now it is quite clear why the porridge does not turn out crumbly and reaches for a spoon. And if you don’t wash the plate immediately after porridge, then the residue in it sticks tightly.
But semolina is not only distinguished by gluten. It is also divided into several categories depending on the variety of wheat:
- Cereals of category M are made from soft wheat grains. Semolina of this category is obtained white. When it gets into the pan, during the cooking process the grains swell and become much larger in size, which is why porridge from such grains has a uniform consistency.
- Semolina of category T is extracted from durum wheat. The product has a yellowish tint and a translucent structure. Semolina of this category is very suitable for preparing dishes that hold their shape, for example, pudding. The grains in it are harder and do not increase in volume during cooking.
- The third category is MT. It's somewhere between soft and hard, but with a 4 to 1 ratio towards the M.
Like all grains, semolina contains very little fat: only 1 g per 100 g of cereal. But it has a lot of protein - almost 13 g, and also a very high carbohydrate content - 70 g. Semolina is distinguished by its low fiber content - only 3.9 g, which actually makes it attractive from a dietary point of view. This is very beneficial for people with sensitive stomachs and intestines, since semolina is much better absorbed than whole grain products.
Since we are talking about diet, it is necessary to mention that semolina is the only grain that is digested in the lower intestine. And this makes it especially useful for diseases of the digestive tract, after abdominal operations and in cases of severe exhaustion.
Another one strong point semolina - starch. This substance adds satiety to dishes prepared from it. And if we take into account that the nutritional value 100 g of semolina contains about 345 Kcal, so it can take its rightful place in weight loss diets. For example, I ate semolina porridge in the morning and was not hungry all day, because the starch will keep me feeling full. And by the end of the day it will also cleanse the body of excess mucus and fat.
Just remember that long heat treatment semolina will deprive it of all the beneficial substances in which it is already poor. Therefore, do not forget the magic phrase: “Little pot, don’t cook!”
But let's return to the flour mill. Previously, we already found out what grain semolina is made from, now let's understand the process itself. After the wheat is transported from the field to the plant, samples are taken and sent for laboratory testing before being unloaded at the plant elevator. The laboratory conducts tests and checks wheat for contamination with harmful impurities and the degree of stickiness. If the grain matches established requirements the batch is put into processing.
First, the wheat is sifted through special sieves, after which it becomes uniform and crushed. Next, the outer shell is peeled off the grain, from which bran is obtained - dietary and useful product, rich in fiber content.
Peeled wheat kernels containing most nutrients, included in the grain, are loaded into a flour-grinding unit, where they are ground by rotating rollers. At the exit of the unit, very coarse flour is obtained, which is sent to the sifting shop.
In this workshop, flour is sifted through special sieves, in which the coarse grinding is separated from the fine grinding. It is the coarse grinding that is the semolina from which everyone’s favorite, and some people’s hated, porridge is prepared.
Good question. In principle, if you take the most useful product on the planet and eat a lot of it, it will harm any organism. As for semolina, it contains three components that can be regarded as harmful. Let's look at them in more detail.
Fitin
This is a sparingly soluble salt of phytic acid, which, when entering the human body, prevents the absorption of calcium by binding its atoms. Thus, when systematically eating foods containing semolina, calcium molecules are bound by phytin and removed from the body. As a result, calcium deficiency may occur, and this, as you know, is fraught with changes in bone tissue.
Gluten or gluten
An excess of this substance in the body provokes allergies. This primarily applies to young children. As a person gets older, their immune system strengthens and the risk associated with gluten decreases significantly. However, about 15% of people remain gluten intolerant.
Excessive carbohydrates
Semolina contains a lot of carbohydrates. That is why its excessive consumption is a direct road to obesity. And this, as you know, has not improved anyone’s health.
- Categories or varieties of semolina may not always be interchangeable for certain cooking recipes. If this matters to you, then pay attention to the semolina category at the time of purchase.
- Store semolina in a cool, dry place. Moreover, it will be best preserved in a tightly closed glass container.
- To prepare one serving of porridge, you will need only 25 g of semolina. The calorie content of such a portion itself is low, but depends on the presence of other components included in the porridge.
- To ensure that there are no lumps in the porridge, at the time of preparation, semolina is poured into a pan with boiling milk or water, while constantly stirring it with a spoon.
Semolina porridge has been familiar to all of us since childhood. Some loved it and ate it every morning, and also asked for more, some couldn’t stand semolina porridge, and some still prefer to have this porridge for breakfast. But what is this popular semolina made from, and is there any benefit to it?
Semolina made from coarse wheat. The average diameter of semolina particles is from 0.25 to 0.75 millimeters. However, semolina is still not only semolina porridge, but also semolina dumplings, pancakes, casseroles, puddings, mousses, soufflés.
All semolina is divided into 3 groups. This is “T” brand semolina, which is made from durum wheat, “M” brand semolina, which is made from soft varieties, and a mixed “MT” brand. By the way, in order to prepare the most delicious semolina porridge, you need to use “M” brand semolina. But for semolina, for example, or pudding, “T” brand semolina is better suited.
Doctors have been arguing about the benefits and harms of semolina for a long time. And if earlier in everyone medical school Students were taught to cook semolina porridge at 5% and 10% for feeding children almost from birth, but today it is recommended to introduce semolina into food only after the child is one year old. It turned out that semolina porridge is a very strong allergen, and an allergy to it in children occurs in the form of diathesis and is very difficult to treat. Therefore, today preference is given to rice, millet and buckwheat porridges.
Semolina contains a large number of gluten, which is called gluten. It is this substance that causes allergies. Over time, gluten intolerance usually goes away and a person can continue to eat their favorite semolina porridge.
Contains semolina and phytin - a substance that prevents the body from absorbing calcium. And for a child’s growing body, calcium is the basis proper development skeleton and growth. And a lack of calcium leads the child’s body to such serious diseases as rickets and spasmophilia. This is another reason why semolina porridge is in great disgrace today.
The calorie content of 100 grams of semolina is 328. It contains 10 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 73 grams of carbohydrates. Semolina is the only grain that is digested in the lower intestine and only absorbed there. Semolina porridge, unlike all its other “friends,” is prepared very quickly and does not lose all its beneficial properties.
In addition, properly prepared semolina porridge is very tasty dish. You need to cook proper semolina porridge in milk and be sure to follow the proportions - 0.75 cups of cereal per 500 milliliters of milk. Pour the cereal into boiling milk using a strainer and cook it for no more than 2 minutes. In this case, the porridge must be stirred vigorously. And then let it brew for 15 minutes in a tightly closed pan. Only such semolina porridge will be the most delicious and healthiest.
But other than that classic recipe There is also semolina porridge with chocolate and pineapples, with cranberry juice and water, with breadcrumbs and dried apricots. In general, semolina porridge will never lose its relevance in the diet of our people.
In our material you will learn, what grain semolina is made from, what semolina has beneficial properties and contraindications, how it is used in healthy and dietary nutrition, how to choose it correctly and how to store it carefully.
Is semolina porridge healthy and why?
Semolina porridge is one of the products that has been on our table since childhood. It is also a constant and obligatory dish. in hospitals. This is precisely because the benefits of the product and its restorative properties for human body have long been known.
Let's begin with porridge for breakfast- This is an old remedy. It is known that a portion of porridge in the morning starts the work of the entire intestine, so porridge was considered useful from a medicinal point of view.
What about diets? Semolina cleanses the intestines from mucus, normalizes work Gastrointestinal tract, therefore, it is an invariable attribute of therapeutic diets for people suffering from diseases such as ulcers, colitis, gastritis. In this case, the porridge is cooked in water, practically without salt and sugar.
Semolina is also good for rehabilitation and recovery after serious illnesses and operations– it gives energy and strength. It is also indicated for patients with chronic fatigue and those who suffer renal failure.
What is semolina made from and what useful elements does it contain?
What is so healthy about semolina porridge? What elements make it a medicinal and dietary product?
Semolina consists of more than half starch and contains only two percent fiber, which is especially important for people sensitive to gluten content.
More liquid and viscous porridges are prepared from soft wheat , for adding to main courses - pancakes, meatballs, casseroles - use durum wheat.
Semolina for weight loss
As a monoproduct semolina porridge ideal for mono-diets, that is, those that basically use only one dish.
However, being not the most dietary of porridges - after all, the starch in its composition makes it, on the contrary, quite high in calories - semolina cooked in milk has a caloric content of 98 kcal per 100 g finished product, on water - 79 kcal / 100 g. These numbers will stop people on a diet who do not suffer from gastrointestinal diseases and are not recovering from surgery from consuming it in its pure form.
Therefore, we say that porridge is more suitable for losing weight for those people who have gastrointestinal problems and high levels of sludge in the body, and then you should not rely on this product, giving preference to it only as a monoproduct.
Semolina porridge as part of the diet
Is semolina good as part of a diet? Yes, of course, if this diet, as already mentioned, is therapeutic or restorative. For a diet to lose weight – not really.
As part of a recovery diet for gaining strength, weight, and after operations, semolina porridge is good to eat in the morning, there are casseroles with semolina. As part of a diet to normalize work Gastrointestinal tract, it is also recommended to eat porridge in the morning to speed up work intestines. Viscous semolina porridge as a monoproduct is also suitable for ending the day, an early light dinner, for people on a cleansing diet with stomach and intestinal problems.
Semolina, as you can see, is not the most effective remedy in the context of weight loss diets. What properties do other popular cereals have in this regard? You can read materials, for example, about or porridges and decide for yourself which one is best to include in your dietary and daily diet.
Cooking methods and features
Basic recipes for making porridge vary in whether the porridge is made with milk or water. For weight loss, porridge cooked in water will definitely be more useful. It is less calorie and more liquid. Porridge with water is also used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, without salt and sugar.
Porridge with milk is suitable for people recovering from surgery or gaining strength after a serious illness.
You can cook delicious porridge in several ways: in a saucepan on the stove, in a slow cooker, in a pressure cooker and even in the oven. A simple recipe for porridge with milk for one person: boil one glass of milk, add three teaspoons of semolina into the boiling milk, stirring constantly. It is better to stir the porridge constantly to avoid the formation of lumps. Add salt and sugar to taste. Cook until thickened. Our mothers used to prepare porridge according to this recipe. Porridge is cooked in water in the same way; you can add dried fruits for taste. A pressure cooker or multicooker usually has a “ Milk porridge». What oils can be combined with semolina porridge for diet and medicinal purposes?
The classic option is to add it to the finished porridge or during the cooking stage butter. It’s tasty and reminiscent of childhood, but it’s not as healthy and certainly not dietary at all. It's good to replace butter. The familiar one will also do, and, which contains twice as much vitamin E as sunflower, which, like semolina itself, is especially useful during the recovery period after surgery, heals wounds and strengthens the immune system.
Harm and contraindications for use
Semolina porridge, although recommended for consumption by people undergoing rehabilitation therapy, gaining weight, with chronic fatigue, and problems with the gastrointestinal tract, is highly not recommended for people struggling to lose weight and who are sick diabetes mellitus .
The fact is that semolina contains high glycemic index, which means that fast carbohydrates from the porridge are instantly absorbed into the blood. This is the so-called “fast” sugar, which is the most harmful and is similar to eating a bun. Calcium is washed out of the body, the body tries to get it from the blood, but it cannot restore itself to the end.
Also, semolina porridge is not suitable for patients with celiac disease and people sensitive to gluten content in food. Semolina, like any porridge containing ground wheat grains, contains gluten, also known as gluten, which is the causative agent celiac disease.
Although in the world, according to rough estimates, only one percent of people suffer from this disease - complete intolerance to flour and flour-containing dishes, studies are being conducted that prove that the very content of gluten in food contributes to the development of diseases metabolism and circulatory system. While the scientific data is varied and does not claim to be 100% reliable, it is better for people who already know about their sensitivity to gluten to refrain from eating porridge.
Choosing good cereals
For classic semolina porridge, cereals from soft wheat. On the packaging of factory products, look for the letter “ M" For second courses (pies, adding to minced meat), durum wheat cereal with the letter “ is suitable T" on the package. Cereal type " MT"Also found on sale.
How to properly store cereals
Correct storage method: transfer the newly purchased cereal to glass or plastic jar
with a tight screw cap. This will prevent bugs and other insects from getting in. The jars themselves are good to keep in ventilated area.You should not immediately make large reserves of semolina; it is better to buy more as needed. If someone does infest the cereal, it is better to get rid of such cereal, since the presence of insect waste products will spoil both the taste and quality of the porridge you prepared.
Conclusion
Semolina porridge is a healthy and nutritious product that has been used for breakfast since ancient times. Porridge is especially useful for people undergoing recovery after operations, in case of problems with Gastrointestinal tract, For weight gain. Porridge should be consumed in moderation or on a special diet for people losing weight, as well as for diabetics.
You can cook porridge as follows: with milk, so on the water, in a saucepan on the stove or slow cooker. The right way Storage of cereals will involve placing them in glass or plastic containers.
Feel free to use semolina porridge in your recovery diet. Bon appetit!
We hope that our review helped you get a good idea of the benefits and harms of semolina porridge (or semolina). We will be glad to receive any of your wishes and comments. in comments.
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Before starting the story about semolina, in common parlance - semolina, it is worth noting original product, i.e. What is cereal made from? Semolina is obtained from wheat grains.
There are two types of wheat: soft, also known as ordinary, and hard (Triticum aestivum and Triticum durum). Soft wheat grains contain 10-15% protein, and hard wheat grains contain at least 16%, and sometimes more than 20%. But, unfortunately, durum wheat is more sensitive to unfavorable conditions and is inferior to soft wheat in terms of productivity, therefore soft wheat varieties predominate in world agriculture. When processing wheat grain into cereals, durum wheat is used. Why? The grain of wheat consists of three main parts: the germ, the shell and the endosperm - a mealy kernel in which reserve nutrients are concentrated. Wheat cereals They are crushed endosperm, carefully freed from the embryo and, if possible, from the membranes. Depending on the size of the pieces, they distinguish between Poltavskaya grits (it comes in different grinds), Artek and the smallest - our semolina. It would seem - where even smaller? But there is another type - semolina - a kind of semolina, similar to quite coarse flour but not as fine as ground flour. If you rub it with your fingers, you can see that semolina is similar to soda.
Semolina happens different color. Strange, isn't it? The whole point is that it is allowed to use not only durum wheat varieties, but also soft ones when making cereals.
In “soft” semolina, the grains are white and opaque, they quickly boil and at the same time greatly increase in volume. Durum wheat produces a yellow, translucent grain. The porridge made from it is coarser and smaller in volume. There is also variegated semolina made from a mixture of hard and soft wheat varieties.
In this regard, cereals are divided into three brands:
M - from soft wheat
MT - from soft wheat with an admixture of durum wheat up to 20%
T - durum wheat
Semolina contains proteins, starch, vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, minerals- potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron.
The cereal cooks quickly, so it preserves everything useful material during the cooking process. Semolina also has a high calorie content and nutritional value and is characterized by high digestibility.
Nutritionists especially respect semolina porridge. Semolina is the only grain that is digested in the lower intestine, so it is often prescribed for stomach diseases. In addition, semolina cleanses the body of mucus and removes fat.
But, unfortunately, semolina porridge is not useful for everyone. Dishes made from semolina are not recommended for overweight people, as well as for people with diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Semolina porridge contains a lot of gluten protein, also known as gluten, which can cause food allergies. In addition, approximately one in 800 Europeans suffers from the severe hereditary disease celiac disease, a gluten intolerance. Under the influence of gluten in patients with celiac disease, the intestinal mucosa becomes thinner and the absorption of all nutrients, especially fats, is impaired.
Another danger of semolina porridge is phytin, a mixture of calcium and magnesium salts of various inositol phosphoric acids. Phytin interferes with the absorption of calcium, making it less accessible for absorption in the intestines. Therefore, small children, who are stuffed with semolina porridge two or three times a day, do not receive enough calcium and often develop rickets, and older people suffer from osteoporosis. On the other hand, phytin prevents the leaching of calcium that is already there from the bones, so it can be useful for osteoporosis.
In addition to calcium, phytin “removes from circulation” vitamins D and PP, the deficiency of which causes rickets and pellagra, as well as zinc ions, which is fraught with hair loss and early baldness. So fitin' in large quantities still not useful. True, it is used as a medicine for various diseases, including calcium metabolism disorders, but are taken only as prescribed by a doctor, and not with spoons, like fish oil.
Children's pediatricians are also against semolina porridge. They advise giving semolina porridge to children over one year old no more than once every 7-10 days.
Semolina is widely used in cooking different nations, especially in the East. These are prepared from semolina National dishes like halwa, basbusa, ravani. In Europe they prepare various mousses, puddings, and casseroles. In Russia, a favorite dish made from semolina is Guryev porridge.
Krupa in different countries prepared differently. Eat interesting dish like boeberts. It is little known in Russia. This is a dish when semolina is not boiled, but is poured with boiling milk and hermetically sealed in a container for half an hour to steam. Its volume usually increases 3-5 times. By adding such a variety of products to the booberts as meat broth, eggs, lemon juice, you can get a variety of dishes: an exquisite dessert, a main course for lunch or breakfast.
And in conclusion, you should not forget to tell us how to cook delicious semolina porridge without lumps and thick foam. It is very important to maintain the proportion: for 225 g of semolina (5 full tablespoons) take 700 g of fat milk and 130 g of water, as well as 30 g butter. Salt and sugar are added to taste. So let's get started.
Salt the water. Pour the cereal into gently boiling water in a thin stream, stirring all the time (preferably with a hard whisk). Then just as quickly pour in the heated milk and stir constantly. Cook the cereal for 15 minutes. At the very end, add sugar, butter, stir the porridge, remove from the stove and immediately cover with a lid, in this case no foam will form. Culinary experts advise cooking porridge in non-stick cookware, because cereal tends to stick to the walls and bottom.