Rapunzel Emmer Pasta

Many city persons have a very romantic idea about farm life. The idyllic country life that they imagine in the most beautiful colors: Gently undulating wheat fields under white fleecy clouds and leisurely ruminating cows in flowery meadows. Behind the farmhouse one can hear clucking chickens and occasionally a sheep bleating. And on the bench in front of the herb garden dozes cat while the sun shines on its belly. Unlike the cat farmers usually have no time left because on a traditional farm there is always plenty to do. Before sunrise, the cows have to be milked. In addition to feeding the animals and the growing of grains and vegetables, many farmers also have forests and orchards. A farmer will therefore never get bored. Despite tractor, combine harvester and milking machines farming is still very labor intensive. Especially when operated ecologically.

Since man was sedentary grain, meat and milk come from the farm. Traditional farms therefore have opposed to specialized agricultural establishments still something very originally. Before humans invented writing they already cultivated cereal. But it was completely different from the today so typical wheat. Emmer for example, is one of the oldest known types of grain at all. In the Middle East emmer was cultivated for nearly 10,000 years. In ancient times it came from Persia to Egypt and finally to Rome. There it became an indispensable staple. In the Roman Empire that much emmer was grown that it was also known as "wheat of Rome". Several centuries later there were almost exclusively the higher yielding durum and soft wheat varieties.

Emmer belonged as well as spelt and einkorn wheat to so-called husk grains. The husk is a shell that surrounds the grain firmly. For the miller that meant extra work. After all, before the grain can be further processed in the mill, it must be separated from the husk. Wheat on the other hand does not have to be husked and can be ground immediately after threshing. Because wheat is additionally even more profitable it replaced the husk grains almost entirely in large parts of Europe. With the same acreage the farmer could harvest twice as much on the wheat field as with emmer. Because of the lower effort for the flour milling it also was more favorable. Therefore one can understand why most farmers typically switched to wheat over the centuries. Meanwhile, however, there is a counter-trend. Especially in Italy the emmer celebrates a comeback in organic farming. Precisely because of its husk! It forms a natural protective layer around the grain and protects it against fungi and harmful environmental influences. Moreover, emmer has relatively low demands to the soil. It therefore is ideally suited for organic farming because there mineral fertilizers and pesticides are omitted.

Emmer is a relative of durum wheat and thus gives a strong flour. Due to its high grain hardness it is ideal for making pasta. For this reason, Rapunzel offers seven delicious pasta varieties made of the robust, ancient grain. Rapunzel Emmer Pasta is made traditionally from the best original emmer and pure spring water. The finished pasta is not dried by a rapid method but gently and at low temperatures. It has a slightly darker, more yellowish color and tastes slightly nutty and more aromatic than the traditional durum wheat pasta. However, the cooking properties are almost identical and the Emmer Pasta gets a wonderful al dente bite. Enjoy Rapunzel Emmer Spirelli, Penne and Spaghetti respectively in semola or whole grain variety. The name penne by the way comes from the Latin "penna" meaning quill. In fact, these noodles have already made history. As the quill is filled with ink, penne are soaked fully with sugo or pesto - for maximum enjoyment with every bite. Even with cold appetizers such as pasta salad penne is always a good choice.

In the grooves of Rapunzel Emmer Spirelli not only cheese but also the favorite sauce gets caught. The spindle-shaped noodles are therefore perfect for casseroles or pasta dishes prepared in the pan. Unlike Spirelli the proper style eating of Rapunzel Emmer Spaghetti needs a little practice. The pasta classic in the emmer variant should as well be wrapped around the fork. The long noodle pasta family is popular with both young and old. Whether with pesto, tomato sauce, meatballs or cheese-cream sauce - Spaghetti is always a good choice. If you like to serve soup as a first course you will love Rapunzel Emmer Vermicelli. With its fine nutty flavor it fits well both in clear soups and in hearty stews.

The Rapunzel whole meal variant is a little darker, a little more savory but with just as much bite! Now you only have to choose a sauce - buon appetito!