Farro, Pharoah, Fair-O... What Is Farro?

Recently I decided to explore the slightly nebulous (and fairly intimidating) world of Gluten-Free foods.  We will get into the reasoning behind this another day, but it lead me on a crazy search for delicious carbs other than the old standbys (I will love and crave pasta and bread until the day I die, I assure you.) Farro and I first met in the aisles of Fresh Market, and it was a cautious love at first sight. High in fiber, high in protein, nutrients out the wazoo, and you make it just like risotto (so easy)!  Surely this was too good to be true!

My friend Courtney and I attempted our virginal farro experience on Sunday night, from a inauspicious boxed mix of "farro al funghi." Guess what? It was simple. It was relatively quick (about 25 minutes). It was delicious! We flavored it with onion, garlic, and fresh herbs to accompany the seasoning mix and dried porcini mushrooms already in the package, and voila! It was hearty, earthy, nutty, with flavor that went on for miles.  Even Jeff, who is not a huge fan of the alternative grain movement, sung its praises. 

So what on earth is it?  Turns out, it's more than a little sketchy.  It can be barley, wheat, or spelt.  Honestly-who cares (I guess if you are gluten-free you need to care, but that aside)!  It's delicious, inexpensive, and easy.  These traits make it a welcome respite from the pasta/potato/rice daily carb circuit.  Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.  Cheers!  

For details, click here's for the full wiki article (excerpt below). 

"There is much confusion or disagreement about what exactly farro is. Emmer, spelt, and einkorn are called farro in Italy, sometimes, but not always, distinguished as farro medio, farro grande, and farro piccolo, respectively^[1]. Regional differences in what is grown locally and eaten as farro, as well as similarities between the three grains, may explain the confusion. Barley and farro may be used interchangeably because of their similar characteristics. Spelt is much more commonly grown in Germany and Switzerland and, though called dinkel there, is eaten and used in much the same way, and might therefore be considered farro. Common wheat may also be prepared and eaten much like farro, in which form it is often referred to as wheatberries."