# Farina, semolina, Cream of Wheat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588 "2010-11-13T20:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/1 "2010-11-13T20:40:16Z")
Is there a difference between farina and semolina? Or, when used as a breakfast cereal such as Cream of Wheat, are the terms interchangeable? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/2 "2010-11-13T20:48:42Z")
Semolina is the wheat middlings specifically from durum wheat. Farina is the wheat middlings from every other kind of wheat. Semolina is yellow in color. It tastes different from farina. Farina is whitish. Farina is also coarser. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/3 "2010-11-13T20:50:32Z")
For fuck’s sake, this has to be the nadir. I don’t care if I get banned for saying it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/4 "2010-11-13T20:52:14Z")
Shut up and eat your Cream of Wheat. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/5 "2010-11-13T21:31:05Z")
That’s what my mother said, while drinking a Manhattan right before the CCD meeting. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/6 "2010-11-13T21:37:12Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > For fuck’s sake, this has to be the nadir. > > I don’t care if I get banned for saying it. I’m not going to ban you for it – but if you think a thread is stupid, ignore the thread, don’t post in it. Easy peasy. Thanks, **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/7 "2010-11-13T21:42:25Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m not going to ban you for it – but if you think a thread is stupid, ignore the thread, don’t post in it. Easy peasy. > > Thanks, > > **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator I totally agree with you 99% of the time, but there’s going to be the 1% where something has to be said. Gracias… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/8 "2010-11-14T00:17:31Z")
I love Cream of Wheat. I make it half milk and half water. Pure milk tastes better but too many calories. I make it at least three times a week. Great stuff. With either blueberrys or raisins and honey. Cream of Wheat does have a thickener agent added so it cooks in 2 1/2 minutes. Without it, it would take 12 or more minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/9 "2010-11-14T00:31:08Z")
What’s so low about wanting to know what different grains are? Now I’m curious in the difference between duram wheat and all the other kinds of wheat. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/10 "2010-11-14T00:38:48Z")
They tried using quadratriticale, but the tribbles ate it all. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/11 "2010-11-14T02:16:06Z")
Cream of Wheat is a brand name of farina. CoCo wheats are chocolate farina. I loved CoCo Wheats growing up. Malt-O’ Meal is malt and farina. Farina is ground wheat, Cream of Rice is similar but made of rice and grits are ground corn and similar. Pretty much every grain has been ground up and made into a cereal ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/12 "2010-11-14T02:28:15Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Cream of Wheat does have a thickener agent added so it cooks in 2 1/2 minutes. Without it, it would take 12 or more minutes. Cream of Wheat comes in three different varieties: 10-minute, 2 1/2-minute, and 1-minute. I prefer the 2 1/2-minute, and usually eat it at least once a week. And now, a song from my mother (who sings this song any time someone mentions Cream of Wheat): [Cream of Wheat is so good to eat…](http://everything2.com/title/Cream+of+Wheat) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/13 "2010-11-14T02:34:52Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m not going to ban you for it – but if you think a thread is stupid, ignore the thread, don’t post in it. Easy peasy. > > Thanks, > > **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator Just what the heck is “pease porridge,” anyways? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farina-semolina-cream-of-wheat/560588/14 "2010-11-14T02:50:51Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > Just what the heck is “pease porridge,” anyways? It’s made of peas and it’s similar to hummus or refried beans (if you were to delump them totally) in texture. You can make it lots of ways, but my mum would use pork for flavouring the yellow split peas