Farina (food)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Farina cereal with shelf price at Shaw's Supermarket in Watertown, MA, October 2004.

Farina (from the Italian for "flour") is a bland-tasting meal made from cereal grains, nuts, or starchy roots. While Farina has been compared to grits, they are in fact very different - the only real similarity being that they are both hot cereals. Farina is finely ground wheat, while grits is made from corn, and is of a coarser texture. Farina is a protein-rich food often cooked in boiling water and eaten for breakfast or in puddings such as semolina. It is used as an ingredient in many dishes and in processed foods such as breakfast cereals and pasta.

Farina is made from the germ and endosperm of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. Although the bran and most of the germ are removed, this cereal is sometimes enriched with Vitamin B and iron. Farina, by itself, is most often served as a breakfast cereal, but can also be cooked like polenta. "Cream of Wheat" and Farina Mills' "Farina" (see photo at right) are brand names of a type of wheat farina used for porridge.

Allen Hoskins's character in the Our Gang comedies was named "Farina" after the cereal.