Does anyone have experience with Fregola Sardinian pasta?
The other night, we went to a restaurant in NJ while spending the weekend at our beach house. I conferred with the waiter about what to order, and he told me the chef has celiac, and would make sure my meal was safe. Out come my grilled scallops on a bed of what looked like Israeli couscous. My heart sank. I asked the waiter about it, and he says no, that is Fregola, and it's gluten-free. I said, O...K... The chef must know what he's doing...
I ate some, not all, and have had no reaction (I would have had one by now). But when I was back in wi-fi-land, I googled it, and it says it's made of durum semolina.
Any thoughts?
Fregola Sardinian pasta
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Hi Suze,
This is a tricky question, because traditionally, as you found, semolina was/is made from durum wheat middlings (bran). However, semolina can also be made from other varieties of wheat, or from other grains such as corn or rice.
Since it's made from wheat middlings (if it's made from wheat), it's a relatively low-gluten product, so it's claimed that many celiacs can safely eat it. I dispute that claim, since it falls into the same category as claiming that it's safe to eat a little arsenic. True, a little arsenic won't kill most of us, but that doesn't mean that it's safe to eat it, and since the dosage tends to be cumulative, it can be a bit tricky trying to figure out just how much is too much.
Of course, if the semolina used by your chef was made from rice or corn middlings, then that would explain why you had no reaction. Using the same name to describe a product that can be/is made from different grains, is a very misleading practice when so many people have severe adverse reactions to one of the grains that may be used.
Tex
This is a tricky question, because traditionally, as you found, semolina was/is made from durum wheat middlings (bran). However, semolina can also be made from other varieties of wheat, or from other grains such as corn or rice.
Since it's made from wheat middlings (if it's made from wheat), it's a relatively low-gluten product, so it's claimed that many celiacs can safely eat it. I dispute that claim, since it falls into the same category as claiming that it's safe to eat a little arsenic. True, a little arsenic won't kill most of us, but that doesn't mean that it's safe to eat it, and since the dosage tends to be cumulative, it can be a bit tricky trying to figure out just how much is too much.
Of course, if the semolina used by your chef was made from rice or corn middlings, then that would explain why you had no reaction. Using the same name to describe a product that can be/is made from different grains, is a very misleading practice when so many people have severe adverse reactions to one of the grains that may be used.
Tex
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