EXCELLENT PASTA
Wheat can be divided into two categories: hard wheat and soft wheat.
In Italy it is customary to use durum wheat to make pasta, since durum wheat is high in proteins and gives tenacity to the pasta which tends to stay “al dente” (hard) and to have a taste favored by Italians. This choice differentiates Italy from other countries, which employ soft wheat or mixes of wheat resulting in pasta with less consistency and a tendency to stick.
The Mediterranean origin of durum wheat has favored its wide spread growth in Italy, compared to other countries in northern Europe.
Over the years the selection of durum wheat brought to higher gluten and protein content, which are fundamental components in the creation of excellent pasta. The amount of protein present in the wheat is the result of the agronomic situation and of the balance between fertilizers and pesticides employed to nurture and protect the harvest.
The quality of the protein is given by its gluten index which determines the tenacity of the protein. The protein has a fundamental role since it retains the starch inside itself so the pasta doesn’t stick together. The higher the content and quality of the protein, the more the starch will be retained inside the pasta. This translates into cruncher pasta with a great texture on the palate. A high quality of the protein and gluten index can be achieved only with a careful genetic selection of the wheat, no matter how well fertilizers and pesticides are balanced. Only by cultivating the right varieties of wheat and mixing them properly you can obtain excellent pasta. A single cultivar rarely has all the characteristics necessary to obtain a high quality product.
ItalyPoint
P.O. BOX 590616
Newton Center, MA 02459 USA
P.O. BOX 590616
Newton Center, MA 02459 USA
Keep in touch
subscribe to our RSS feed
subscribe to our RSS feed
