Is semolina gluten-free? Usually not, check the grain

Usually not. Semolina normally means coarsely milled durum wheat, so it contains gluten. It’s the base of dried pasta, couscous, semolina pudding and many Indian dishes (sooji, rava).

The exceptions

The word describes the grind, not the grain. “Rice semolina” (semolino di riso) and “corn semolina” (polenta, maize semolina) are gluten-free, as long as the pack doesn’t list wheat. If the label just says semolina, assume wheat.

Other names to watch

• Semola, semola di grano duro (Italian): durum wheat.
• Sooji, rava (India): usually wheat; ask whether it’s rice rava.
• Farina (US breakfast cereal): wheat. In Italian, farina simply means flour, so check which one.

Semolina is wheat unless the pack says rice or corn. Polenta and rice semolina give you the same texture without the gluten.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is corn gluten-free?
• Is couscous gluten-free?
• Is spelt gluten-free?
• Polenta in the Flour Library

Sources: Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less), EU Regulation 828/2014, Coeliac UK, NHS. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.