Food is a great way to facilitate cross-cultural exchange, and Italian food, by far, is the most popular cuisine worldwide. Although many credit pasta for their love of Italian food, not all pasta is created equally, and durum wheat semolina flour plays an important role in differentiating good pasta from bad.

Most flours are made from “common wheat,” which is good for plenty of baked goods, but pasta needs something a little stronger. That’s where durum wheat semolina flour comes in; it has a higher protein content, which translates to more gluten and a stronger, more structured dough.

Wheat durum semolina flour has 13% protein or more, compared to just 8-11% protein in all-purpose flour. As aforementioned, a higher protein content leads to more gluten production, and gluten is what helps pasta keep its shape rather than turn into a gummy mess when boiled.