Organic Hulled Dicocco Spelt

Whole grains, deprived only of the outer husk: the cereal that nourished Rome

An hour of soaking, an hour of cooking: time is the ingredient you can't buy.

Hulled Farro Dicocco from the Val d'Orcia Mill

Farro dicocco is the oldest of the three types of farro cultivated in Italy, and this is its hulled version: the grain has been freed only from its outer husk, the tough husk that surrounds it, while retaining the germ and bran. This means it's a whole grain, with all its fiber and nutrients, and it requires an hour of soaking and an hour of cooking in a regular pot—times that are halved in a pressure cooker. However, the result is a firm grain, with a strong bite and a full, nutty flavor unlike any refined grain. It's perfect for legume soups, broths, and cold salads.
 
 
 

The roots of this cereal lie in the word "flour"

The Romans called it far, and that's where the word flour comes from. Spelt was the founding cereal of Roman civilization: by grinding it, they prepared puls, the thick polenta that for centuries was the daily dish of the people, and the panis farreus, the spelt bread that appeared in the most solemn of patrician wedding rites, the confarreatio —a wedding celebrated by breaking a spelt focaccia together before the priest. Its cultivation dates back ten thousand years in the Fertile Crescent, and for millennia it was the basis of the Mediterranean diet, before being supplanted by higher-yielding and easier-to-thresh grains: spelt, in fact, is a "dressed" grain, whose grain remains wrapped in its husks even after harvesting and requires hulling. It is precisely this inconvenience that almost obliterated it—and the rediscovery of whole grains is bringing it back to the table.
 
 
 

Hulled, semi-pearled or pearled: the differences

• Hulled: only the outer husk is removed. It retains the germ and bran, requires soaking and long cooking, has the highest fiber content and the strongest bite.
• Semi-pearl: partially abraded on the surface. Shorter cooking times, some of the fibers preserved.
• PerlatoThe bran is removed. It cooks quickly and without soaking, but loses much of its fiber.

Choosing hulled rice means choosing the wholesome and most nutritious version, accepting longer preparation times in exchange.
 
 
 

Choosing Hulled Farro Dicocco means taking care of yourself

By retaining the bran and germ, hulled farro preserves fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, along with the good protein content typical of this grain. Fiber contributes to a feeling of satiety and slows the absorption of sugars, while the classic pairing with legumes—farro and chickpeas, farro and lentils—provides a complete amino acid profile, as Mediterranean cuisine recognized long before modern nutrition. Be careful, though: farro is a wheat and contains gluten, so it's not suitable for celiacs.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Hulled Farro Dicocco

• IN LEGUME SOUPS, ITS NATURAL VOCATION: after soaking, cook it together with the Cicerchia or alle Organic Ata Valnerina Lentils, with celery, carrot and a drizzle of raw oil: a complete and filling one-dish meal.
• IN COLD SALADS IN SUMMER: drain it al dente, cool it and season it with Mixed Yellow Tomatoes, Itrane Green Olives in Brine and crunchy vegetables: the firm grain does not fall apart and remains perfect even the next day.
• AS A SIDE DISH AND BASE FOR VEGETABLE DISHES: serve it warm with roasted vegetables and a spoonful of Organic Tofu and Courgette Cream, or use it instead of rice for thick soups like Organic Neapolitan Soup.

The Producer: Mulino Val d'Orcia

Mulino Val d'Orcia selects and processes organic Italian grains, including ancient varieties like emmer wheat and Senatore Cappelli, taking care of hulling, milling, and processing. A meticulous supply chain that prioritizes less productive varieties with greater nutritional and flavor value.
 
 
 

Preparation

Soak for an hour, then cook for about an hour in a regular pot. Pressure cooking cuts the cooking time in half. Suitable for making legume soups, broths, and cold salads.
 
 
 

Ingredients

SPELLED organic hulled dicoccum.

Allergens: contains GLUTEN.
 
 
 

Food container

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light, in an airtight container or tightly closed container. Since it's a whole grain that retains its germ, it's more sensitive to moisture and heat than refined grains: consume by the date indicated and keep away from heat sources.
 
 
 

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