Semolina

Semolinais the name given to roughly milleddurum wheatmainly used in makingpastaand sweetpuddings.  The termsemolinais also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such asriceormaize) as well.
Semolina is derived from theItalianwordsemolino,1790–1800; alteration of Italiansemolino, equivalent tosemol(a) "bran" (Latin:simila,lit.'flour') +-inodiminutive suffix. Of Semitic origin; Arabic root is samid (سميد) and Hebrew rootsmd"to grind intogroats" (cf.samīd).
Modern milling of wheat intoflouris a process that employs grooved steel rollers. The rollers are adjusted so that the space between them is slightly narrower than the width of the wheat kernels. As the wheat is fed into the mill, the rollers flake off thebranandgermwhile thestarch(orendosperm) is cracked into coarse pieces in the process. Throughsifting, theseendospermparticles, the semolina, are separated from the bran. The semolina is then ground into flour. This greatly simplifies the process of separating the endosperm from the bran and germ, as well as making it possible to separate the endosperm into different grades because the inner part of the endosperm tends to break down into smaller pieces than the outer part. Different grades of flour can thus be produced.
Semolina made from hard durum wheat (Triticum turgidumsubsp.durum) is pale yellow in color.It may be milled either coarse or fine, and both are used in a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes, including many types ofpasta.
Semolina made from common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is beige in color. In the United States, it is calledfarina(not to be confused with Italianfarina, which is common-wheat flour), and it is used more often for desserts than for savory foods. On theIndian subcontinent, common-wheat semolina may be milled either coarse or fine, and both are used in a wide variety of both sweet and savory dishes. Common names in other languages include:
Broadly speaking, meal produced from grains other than wheat may also be referred to as semolina, e.g., rice semolina and corn semolina. Corn semolina is commonly calledgritsin the United States.
InGermany,Austria,Hungary,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Serbia,Slovenia,Romania,SlovakiaandCroatia, (durum) semolina is known as(Hartweizen-)Grieß(a word related to "grits") and is mixed with egg to makeGrießknödel, which can be added to soup. The particles are fairly coarse, between 0.25 and 0.75 millimeters in diameter. It is also cooked in milk and sprinkled with chocolate to be eaten as breakfast.
InItaly, (durum) semolina is used to make a type of soup by directly boiling fine semolina in vegetable or chicken broth. Semolina can also be used for making a type ofgnocchicalledgnocchi alla romana, where semolina is mixed with milk, cheese and butter to form a log, then cut in discs and baked with cheese andbechamel.
Semolina is a common food inWest Africa, especially amongNigerians. It is eaten as either lunch or dinner with stew or soup. It is prepared just likeeba(cassava flour) orfufuwith water and boiled for 5 to 10 minutes.
In much ofNorth Africa, durum semolina is made into the staplecouscousand different kinds of flat breads likem'semen, kesra, khobz and other.
In Pakistan and North India semolina is called sooji, and inSouth India, rava. Semolina is used to make savorySouth Indian foods, such asrava dosa,rava idli, rava kitchri andupma. It is used to coat slices of fish before it is pan-fried in oil.Rotiscan also be made from semolina.
In the UK, the flour is mixed with hot milk, sugar and vanilla to make a warm pudding dessert. It has fallen out of favour in recent times due to the slight coarseness that the grains retain. At one time it was a staple pudding served in school lunches.
InAustria,Germany,Hungary,Bulgaria,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Slovenia,Serbia,Romania,Croatia,Slovakia, and theCzech Republic, common wheat semolina  is calledWeichweizengrießinGerman, but is often referred to asGrieß). It is often cooked with milk and sugar or cooked with just milk and then topped with sugar,cinnamon,Ovaltineor other sweet toppings. A dollop of butter is also often added. This dish is calledGrießkochin Austria,Grießbreiin Germany, andsemolina puddinginEnglish.Grießauflaufconsists of semolina mixed with whipped egg whites, and sometimes fruit or nuts, and then baked in the oven.
A baked dish containing semolina calledmigliacciois found in the Neapolitan tradition in Italy. Migliaccio is a mixture of ricotta,vanillaand citrus peel, similar to the filling insfogliatelle, with added semolina flour to obtain a simple, firm cake.
In Slovakia,Sweden,Estonia,Finland,Lithuania,Latvia,Poland,Romania,Ukraine,Belarus,Israel, andRussia, it is eaten as a breakfast porridge, sometimes mixed withraisinsand served with milk. InSwedish, it is known asmannagrynsgröt, or boiled together with blueberries, asblåbärsgröt. In Sweden, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, semolina is boiled together with juice from berries and then whipped into a light, airy consistency to createklappgröt(Swedish name), also known asvispipuuro(Finnish name) ormannavaht(Estonian name) ordebessmanna(Latvian name). This dessert often eaten in the summer.
In theMiddle EastandNorth Africa,basbousa(also calledharisain somevarieties of Arabic) is a sweet semolina cake soaked in fragrant syrup and frequently topped with nuts. InNorth Africa, it is also used to makeharcha, a kind of griddle cake often eaten for breakfast, commonly with jam or honey.Baghrir, aNorth Africanpancake, is also made with semolina or flour that is served for breakfast.
In Indian subcontinent, semolina (called Rava, suji or shuji) is used for such sweets ashalwaand rava kesari. Semolina vermicelli is also used to make a pudding calledseviyan. InNepal, semolina is called suji and is used for preparing sweet dishes such as haluwa or puwa. InMyanmar(Burma), semolina (called shwegyi) is used in a popular dessert calledsanwin makin. In Sri Lanka semolina is calledrulanand used to make creamy porridge and a sweet confectionery called "rulan aluwa".
Halwais sometimes made with semolina cooked with sugar, butter, milk, or pine nuts. It is a popular treat inTurkey(helva),Greece, (halvas),Cyprus(halvas),Bulgaria(halva),Iran(halva),Pakistan(halva),Bangladesh(halua),Palestine(halawa), andIsrael(khalva). In Turkey, sweet dishes calledrevani,şekerpareandşambaliare made with semolina.
In Greece, the dessertgalaktobourekois made by making a custard from the semolina and then wrapping it in phyllo sheets.  In Cyprus, the semolina may be mixed also with almond cordial to create a light, water-based pudding.
As an alternative to corn meal, semolina can be used to flour the baking surface to prevent sticking. In bread making, a small proportion of durum semolina added to the usual mix of flour is said to produce a tasty crust.