[Sca-cooks] What is samidh flour?

[Terry Decker]

I'm thinking this may be emmer (AKA starch wheat) rather than semolina 
(durum), although fine semolina is better than all purpose flour.  Emmer is 
generally lower in protein and higher in starch than Semolina.  Pastry flour 
has roughly the same properties as emmer flour, so it can be substituted. 
However, this too is speculation.

Bear


> Nasrallah's translation of Al Warraq repeatedly refers to "samidh flour 
> (high in starch and bran-free)." Does anyone know, in modern terms, what 
> that would be? I've mostly used semolina, since that shows up frequently 
> in other period Islamic recipes, but I have no reason to think it's 
> actually right and it probably isn't.
> -- 
> David/Cariadoc
> www.daviddfriedman.com