Farina (food)
Encyclopedia
Farina is a cereal
food, frequently described as mild-tasting, usually served warm, made from cereal grains. In contemporary American English use, the word usually refers to Cream of Wheat
made from soft wheat. Wheat farina is a carbohydrate
-rich food, often cooked in boiling water and served warm for breakfast
, or cooked with milk and made into semolina
pudding
. It is used as an ingredient in many dishes and in processed foods such as breakfast cereal
s and pasta
.
The word farina comes from the Latin farina, meaning meal or flour.
Farina is made from the germ
and endosperm
of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. Because the bran
and most of the germ
are removed, this cereal is sometimes enriched with Vitamin B and iron
. Farina, by itself, is most often served as a breakfast cereal
, but can also be cooked like polenta
. Farina can also be used to make farofa
. Cream of Wheat
, Malt-O-Meal
, and Farina
are brand names of a type of wheat farina used for breakfast cereal. Farina brand is a trademark of the Malt-O-Meal Company.
Farina can also be found on the bottom of some english muffins as it is used to prevent them from sticking to the baking surfaces during the baking process.
When enriched, it is one of the single best sources of dietary iron
available, especially for vegetarian diets, with most brands offering as much as 50% of the recommended daily value in a single 120-calorie serving.
Common additives to it for cereal are cinnamon, butter, sugar, honey, jelly/jam or salt. These can help add to an otherwise bland taste.
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
food, frequently described as mild-tasting, usually served warm, made from cereal grains. In contemporary American English use, the word usually refers to Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat is a porridge-type breakfast food invented in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cereal is currently manufactured and sold by B&G Foods. Until 2007, it was the Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. It is similar in texture to grits, but made with farina instead...
made from soft wheat. Wheat farina is a carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
-rich food, often cooked in boiling water and served warm for breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
, or cooked with milk and made into semolina
Semolina
Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, and also used for breakfast cereals and puddings. Semolina is also used to designate coarse middlings from other varieties of wheat, and from other grains such as rice and corn.-Name:The term semolina derives from...
pudding
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
. It is used as an ingredient in many dishes and in processed foods such as breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
s and pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
.
The word farina comes from the Latin farina, meaning meal or flour.
Farina is made from the germ
Cereal germ
The germ of a cereal is the reproductive part that germinates to grow into a plant; it is the embryo of the seed. Along with bran, germ is often a by-product of the milling that produces refined grain products. Cereal grains and their components, such as wheat germ, rice bran, and maize may be used...
and endosperm
Endosperm
Endosperm is the tissue produced inside the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet...
of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. Because the bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
and most of the germ
Cereal germ
The germ of a cereal is the reproductive part that germinates to grow into a plant; it is the embryo of the seed. Along with bran, germ is often a by-product of the milling that produces refined grain products. Cereal grains and their components, such as wheat germ, rice bran, and maize may be used...
are removed, this cereal is sometimes enriched with Vitamin B and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. Farina, by itself, is most often served as a breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
, but can also be cooked like polenta
Polenta
Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal , which can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier...
. Farina can also be used to make farofa
Farofa
Farofa is a toasted manioc flour mixture, though variants are made with maize flour , and flavors can vary. It is eaten in South America and West Africa, especially in Brazil and Nigeria, where a variant is known as gari. It can be found commercially produced and packaged but is often prepared at...
. Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat is a porridge-type breakfast food invented in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cereal is currently manufactured and sold by B&G Foods. Until 2007, it was the Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. It is similar in texture to grits, but made with farina instead...
, Malt-O-Meal
Malt-O-Meal
The Malt-O-Meal Company is a privately owned American corporation that produces breakfast cereals. Its corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It employs 1,400 people and had estimated sales in 2008 of $548 million.-History:...
, and Farina
Farina
Farina may refer to:* Farina , cereal meal* Farina, Illinois, a village in the United States* Farina, South Australia, a town in Australia* Farina gegenüber, a fragrance company in Cologne, Germany...
are brand names of a type of wheat farina used for breakfast cereal. Farina brand is a trademark of the Malt-O-Meal Company.
Farina can also be found on the bottom of some english muffins as it is used to prevent them from sticking to the baking surfaces during the baking process.
When enriched, it is one of the single best sources of dietary iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
available, especially for vegetarian diets, with most brands offering as much as 50% of the recommended daily value in a single 120-calorie serving.
Common additives to it for cereal are cinnamon, butter, sugar, honey, jelly/jam or salt. These can help add to an otherwise bland taste.
In popular culture
- Allen Hoskins' character in the Our GangOur GangOur Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
comedies was named "Farina" after the cereal. - In the FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "Three Hundred Big BoysThree Hundred Big Boys"Three Hundred Big Boys" is the sixteenth episode of season four of Futurama, which aired June 15, 2003.-Plot:Zapp Brannigan leads an attack on Tarantulon VI, claiming silken artworks. Earth President Richard Nixon gives the riches to the citizens of Earth as a $300 tax rebate. Leela plans to swim...
", a stem cell rejuvenated Professor Farnsworth orders a "mild farina" in a restaurant - after talking about "living life on the edge" to his date. Although he can pass for 25, he still prefers the bland food appropriate to a 160 year old. - In Dr. KatzDr. Katz, Professional TherapistDr. Katz, Professional Therapist is an American animated series that originally ran on Comedy Central from May 28, 1995 to December 24, 1999,–with a final set of three shelved episodes airing in 2002–starring Jonathan Katz, Jon Benjamin, and Laura Silverman...
, Katz refers to farina as "The thinking man's oatmeal". - The punk band Screeching WeaselScreeching WeaselScreeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
mentions Farina in their song "Supermarket Fantasy". - The punk band RamonesRamonesThe Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
also mentions Farina in their song "Every time I eat Vegetables, it makes me think of you" - In the SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Dinner Party" Jerry talks about when he found a hair in his Farina cereal when he was younger. - In the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
, Mississippi governor Pappy O'Daniel's son tells Tim Blake Nelson'sTim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer, and actor.-Early life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa, and a geologist father...
character Delmar O'Donnell that he hopes Delmar will eat his daddy's Farina and vote him into a second term. - In the book "Four Blind Mice"(page 133), part of James Patterson's Alex Cross detective series, Farina is referenced as the favorite breakfast food of one of the main characters (John Sampson) .
- In the movie Farinelli, the title character receives his nickname after challenging a trumpet player with his singing voice, and a member of the crowd shouts,"He mashed your famous trumpet player into Farina!"
- In the October 29, 2007, episode of The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, Jon Stewart alluded to Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
with the line "It's wet and rhymes with Farina" - In the movie "Sweet Wheat" Gold Coast (Connecticut)Gold Coast (Connecticut)The Gold Coast, also known as Southwestern Connecticut or Lower Fairfield County, is a region of the state of Connecticut, United States, that includes the entire southern portion of Fairfield County as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Super-Public Use Microdata Area Region 09600.This area is...
's own David Whitlock plays the character "Cream of Wheat" due to his striking resemblance to the young boy portrayed on the Farina box. - Comedian Eddie Murphy performed comedy routines in the 70's and 80's about his character 'Buckwheat', and referred to his sister 'Farina', along with other family members named after breakfast foods.
- In John Man's The Survival of Jan Little, at times the family lives almost exclusively on Farina when their supplies run out.
- In the musical "BARNUM!", during the song "There Is A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute" Barnum suggests as an attraction a "lady fair who's head was lost" and now "eats farina through a hose, and wears pink tights instead of clothes".