As a rule, our attitude to semolina and porridge from it is formed in childhood as a defensive reaction to mother’s “Models eat semolina” and “Until you eat porridge, you will not get candy”. Indeed, not everyone likes the liquid-stretching mess cooked in milk. Especially if you come across stuck together clots in it …
But at the same time, the benefits of semolina praised by parents are not so total. Largely – due to some specific components that make up semolina. Let’s try to give an objective assessment of the composition of this product and its properties.
Useful properties of semolina
Semolina is a highly crushed, refined grain of wheat. As a rule, the size of each particle of semolina does not exceed half a millimeter. Thanks to this grinding, a high uniformity of semolina dishes is achieved. Why is semolina useful?
Semolina is of two types – hard and soft, which is determined by the varieties of wheat from which it is prepared. The properties of semolina porridge, such as its softness and liquid consistency, allow it to be used as a nutritional component for very young children and the elderly who cannot cope with coarser food normally. The composition of semolina contains a large amount of proteins and carbohydrates.
Proteins in semolina, in turn, bring many essential amino acids into the body, making semolina useful and can be used as an important component of a balanced diet.
Carbohydrates from semolina, being standard polysaccharides, provide the body with energy and strength for a long time. The benefits of semolina are that even after cooking, it retains a lot of vitamins belonging to groups B, A and C, and almost all the minerals contained in the original grain – calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus. This is all that semolina is useful for. But it also has negative properties.
Harmful components of semolina composition
The main disadvantages of cereals are its three qualities.
1. Decreased fiber content.
Most of the fiber is removed from the bran wheat, and only small amounts remain in the semolina. And this in no way contributes to the normal functioning of the intestines and the better assimilation of meals from semolina.
2… Lots of gluten in cereal, typical for wheat.
The word “gluten” is a specific protein complex called gluten, which leads to adhesion of cereal particles to each other when boiling. Physically, there is nothing wrong with it, but some of the components of gluten can lead to persistent allergic reactions. Especially in children. In this regard, the chemical composition of semolina is much inferior to buckwheat and rice, which does not contain gluten at all.
3. The presence of phytin in semolina.
Some researchers believe that this substance in semolina prevents the absorption of many minerals from food – iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. And although today studies have shown that phytin does not affect iron metabolism in any way, for other components these assumptions have not yet been tested. By the way, for the elderly, such “fitinization” of cereals can be very beneficial, since with it metals do not attach to the blood cells and do not interfere with the normal functioning of the circulatory system.
But despite all the warnings, the semolina composition of which is so ambiguous is a traditional cereal of many cuisines of the world, used to prepare a variety of dishes.
What can be cooked from semolina
You don’t have to talk about semolina porridge here – everyone knows it.
But semolina pies are as less common as they are delicious. The so-called mannikas are very dense, satisfying and have a pleasant and unpleasant sweet taste. Ideal dessert composition for athletes.
In the East, the famous couscous is prepared from semolina – a dish with vegetables and meat, very difficult to prepare, but incredibly tasty. And semolina is added to a wide variety of table mixes. Dough for pancakes, minced meat, casseroles, soufflé – small cereals with sticky properties are very convenient everywhere.
Therefore, even if suddenly all children on Earth at once declare a boycott of semolina, this is unlikely to greatly affect its popularity. Too many recipes, she managed to interfere.
