Bread, pasta and legumes

PGI Spelt wheat (farro) from Garfagnana

This ancient grain is great for piping hot vegatable soups and fresh salads

Triticum dicoccum, or spelt wheat, is the oldest cereal among all those that have survived to this day. Originally from Palestine, its cultivation dates back to 7000 BC and it was a principle ingredient for the Assyrians, Egyptians and other ancient peoples of the Middle East and North Africa. In Italy, it has been cultivated since the Bronze Age, which we know given the discovery of several seeds among the clothes of the Man of Similaun, known as "the iceman", dated around 2000 BC.
At the time of the Romans, farratum was traditionally offered to spouses, a dish that represented good wishes and that was seen as a sign of abundance and fertility. Centurions were largely paid with farro and salt. It's a “dressed” cereal that requires polishing in order to be consumed, meaning the removal of the external protective layers of the seed. With the introduction of new and more productive varieties of bare wheat, the cultivation of farro began to be relegated to marginal areas such as Garfagnana, where its cultivation has remained up to the present day and where it continues to excel in the ancient stone mills that are operated by hydro-energy.

Category

Bread, pasta and legumes
Origin

Garfagnana
Quality label

PGI
Consortium

Consorzio produttori del Farro della Garfagnana I.G.P

The product and the territory

In 1996, spelt wheat from Garfagnana obtained the European recognition of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), providing for its cultivation in the municipalities of the Union of Garfagnana Municipalities, between 300 and 1000 meters above sea level, according to organic farming methods. In the northernmost municipalities of the valley, from San Romano in Garfagnana to Sillano-Giuncugnano, the cereal crops form a palette of colours that goes from bright green to golden yellow with the changing seasons. In the small village of Sant’Anastasio in Piazza al Serchio, the harvest is celebrated each year with "Le Contee del Farro", a gastronomic journey entirely dedicated to this cereal.

Spelt wheat in the kitchen

Spelt wheat is mainly used as an ingredient for delicious soups. Full-bodied soups that are typical of winter require bean purée, tomato purée, all the scents of the garden and some pork rinds for flavour during cooking. A lighter spelt soup, on the other hand, is made with seasonal vegetables added with borlotti beans. However, spelt wheat has a flavour that goes well with all kinds of ingredients: from porcini mushrooms to fish to make tasty farrotti, it's also an ideal base for preparing fresh summer salads. Savoury torta di farro salato made with ricotta and pecorino is one of the most typical recipes of the Garfagnana, and finally, for lovers of something sweet, budino di farro is not to be missed.