FRATELLI FELICI Farro Spelt 16 oz

A heirloom grain from the cradle of civilization, farro is said to be the primordial grain from which all others have descended.

A staple of early Near East and Mediterranean populations for millennia, farro became the standard ration for the Roman Legions and the basis of the Roman peasant’s polenta for hundreds of years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, though, quantity nudged out quality, as so often happens. Difficult to cultivate and low-producing, farro lost ground to higher-yielding grains. In recent history, cultivation of farro dwindled to no more than a few hundred acres, mainly in the Italian regions of Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. Farro may have continued on as a local treasure in those regions, but for producers in the Haute Savoie region of France, who introduced it to their gourmet chefs, who in turn appreciated its firm, toothsome character in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes.

Today, farro is enjoying a resurgence as it’s been rediscovered as a healthy grain and an alternative to wheat. Similar in appearance to spelt or wheat berries, farro retains its husk as it’s harvested, and resists threshing.