Why Many Italians Only Use Durum Wheat to Make Pasta 🍝 Inside The Factory | Smithsonian Channel

When an Italian tells you that durum wheat is better for making pasta than whole wheat, it’s probably wise to listen. But Cherry Healy wants proof-and only a side-by-side taste test can deliver that.
From: Inside The Factory
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[@gcvrsa]

This excerpt doesn't really answer the question the title asks. Durum wheat and "common" wheat (or "bread" wheat) differ primarily in the type of gluten which predominates, gluten being the protein content of the wheat. The type of gluten that is in durum is more "extensible", where as the type of gluten in the common wheat typically used to make bread is more "elastic". This difference in gluten is why durum wheat is preferred for making Italian pasta, as opposed to the common wheat that is often used to make other varieties of noodles, as in Asia; the more extensible durum is easier to form into long unbroken pieces, but does not work very well for bread (though it is sometimes used in bread), whereas the more elastic common wheat is better at trapping carbon dioxide during the fermentation process so that the bread rises. Durum wheat is also a "hard" wheat, meaning it has a high percentage of gluten, but this is not a property that is exclusive to durum-there are also hard varieties of common wheat that are prized for bread making.

[@kerrykirk2515]

Youv missed out a cpl of points, such as vitamin E.. that it is further milled up semolina, which also contains much more nutrients, than regular flour

[@adamscott217]

2:34 She turned and moved closer to him as if they where going to wrap arms then eat the pasta, like some 90's rom-com

[@mtsbr78]

Não tinhamos essa série aqui no Brasil. Seria bom ter completo legendado no YT.

[@jonsil001]

Yep and you can taste the difference. Cheaper pasta is almost always made from 100% standard wheat flour - and it goes mushy very quickly and is easy to overcook.

[@JxH]

1:45 She says, "That's *all* the starch..." Ah, no. Not "all". Crikey...

[@nichtdiemama11]

If I asked my local Italian restaurant for Durum, they'd think that I want a kebab roll.

[@kurteisner67]

Lol But, to be fair, what kind of question is this to begin with? 😂 Anyway, probably safer to ask if they use _pasta secca_ (dry pasta as opposed to other forms not necessarily using durum wheat), that should be illuminating. Hope that helps. 😅

[@For91Days]

Complaints about the overcooked pasta! Lol!

[@copernicus1615]

Ali G is so funny in this episode 😂

[@thewhoopimen]

aren't ramen noodles made from common wheat? I'm pretty sure chinese wheat or japanese udon noodles are too, so I don't think that there are ways around the two wheat differences. Typically asian noodles are ready to eat within 3 minutes of boiling. My contention is that they did a side by side comparison of the the two wheat types boiling it at 8-10 minutes that would be typical for pasta. That would have overcooked the regular wheat pasta soggy/slimey.

[@gcvrsa]

Yes, this! But, ramen/lamian noodles are a very specific type of Chinese noodle, and the dough for ramen is treated with sodium carbonate, which changes its color and texture.

[@forgetmenot3282]

What is the nutritional differences?

[@kurteisner67]

Im case you're wondering which one is healthier, the answer is that the largest difference is actually between "whole wheat" and "refined wheat", which exists for both kind of wheats. The whole wheat is healthier regardless of whether it's Durum wheat or common wheat, but among both refined and both whole versions the differences are pretty negligble.

[@gcvrsa]

Very little. Durum wheat and common wheat differ primarily in the types of gluten proteins, but are more or less identical in nutritional content at similar protein contents.

[@Khushi-jw3ic]

Which one is better for digestion??

[@jestineabraham5185]

Durum

[@leticiamacias5481]

Big difference, ❤

[@Genious.]

Alessandro D'alessandro: The man so nice... They named him two times.

[@gcvrsa]

New York, New York!

[@kellyshomemadekitchen]

Where can I buy durum pasta?

[@JxH]

Any non-low-quality quality pasta would be durum, so any grocery store. Check the package labels.

[@patti3d]

Read the labels for the ingredients. It will say Duran wheat semolina and water.

[@kerrykirk2515]

Tkmaxx has a great selection ​@@JxH

[@sasikalanaveenkumar9812]

​@@patti3dit is good for adults and kids ????

[@patti3d]

@@sasikalanaveenkumar9812 Everything in moderation! I would still buy organic, but made in Italy is better and even better if organic. In my opinion. I heard Europe has stricter regulations on foods. Like here in the US you find High Fructose Corn Syrup a lot in prodiucts, but Europe uses regular cane sugar.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

Fun report Cherry, and you are so darn cute! 🥰

[@andrewweaver2517]

I'd buy her a corn dog.

[@carolinehaythornthwaite2965]

What a difference, and yet the local supermarkets in UK are selling pasta made with eggs! How so?

[@officialPrighozin]

Durum wheat and a mix of eggs and water... Usually That is how fresh pasta is made.

[@carolinehaythornthwaite2965]

@23quantumDuck🦆⚛️ thank you, I actually rechecked the ingredients and it does say durum wheat, so that's a relief. These days it's worth checking.

[@gcvrsa]

Fresh pasta is typically made with eggs. The dried pasta on sale in supermarkets consists only of durum wheat and water.

[@kerrykirk2515]

These days there's a multitude of pastas not upto scratch,. Check your labels

[@mariag5306]

I've only ever used durum wheat pasta but one time we had run out so my mother in law and I went to buy some. All they had was Catelli so we had no choice. I never want to experience that again lol

[@gcvrsa]

Catelli pasta is made from durum wheat.

[@mariag5306]

@@gcvrsa not the one I bought. This is going back 30 years. My sister used to work for them way back and I always refused whatever she tried to give me. Mind you most of what she wanted to give me was the sauces and I've only ever made my own.

[@lz-terminator-lz2606]

Ayo

[@justrelaxing1501]

Paaaaasta, not past-a

[@Genious.]

'Past-a' is right up there with 'Eyetalian'.

[@DKong1026]

yeah that pronunciation is cringe

[@gcvrsa]

That is typical of British pronunciation.