Semolina flour

One US cup of semolina flour weighs 167 grams. Going the other way, 100 grams is about 0.60 cups.

Semolina is the coarse endosperm of durum wheat (Triticum durum), milled to granules rather than a fine powder. It is the flour of choice for dried Italian pasta, couscous, gnocchi, and certain regional breads. Its measuring behaviour in a cup is different from soft-wheat flours: the larger, harder granules pack more consistently and are less sensitive to scooping method, which is why the two published cup figures agree closely.

USDA FoodData Central publishes 1 cup of unenriched semolina at 167 grams (FDC 169758, Semolina, unenriched). That gives a bulk density of 0.7058 grams per millilitre. King Arthur's ingredient weight chart publishes the same product at 163 grams per cup and 0.6890 grams per millilitre. The two figures agree within 2.4 percent, well inside the 10 percent tolerance we apply to the milled category. Semolina is one of the flour entries where the sources actually agree closely — a consequence of its coarser particle size, which reduces the packing variability that plagues soft-wheat flour measurements.

Durum wheat is the hardest wheat variety, with 12 to 15 percent protein and a very strong gluten structure. That structure is what gives properly cooked pasta its characteristic al dente bite: durum's gluten holds up during boiling in a way that soft-wheat flour cannot match. The high protein and strong gluten also mean semolina absorbs less water than all-purpose flour at the same weight, which is why fresh pasta dough is so stiff — it is properly hydrated at levels that would produce a workable bread dough with softer flour.

The distinction between semolina and durum flour matters. Durum flour is finely ground durum wheat; semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat. Both are made from the same grain, but the grind changes the behaviour: durum flour behaves more like all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl, while semolina retains its gritty texture and is used where that texture is wanted (pasta extrusion, couscous granules, breads with a distinctive crust dusting). Rimacinata semolina is semolina reground to a finer consistency, used for tender Italian breads and gnocchi where full-coarse semolina would be too gritty.

Regional names for semolina: rava, sooji or suji in Indian cooking (where it is used for upma, halwa and idli); semola in Italian (with semolino as the diminutive); and semouleh in Arabic and North African contexts. Cream of Wheat and similar breakfast cereals in the United States are farina, which is common-wheat semolina rather than durum — technically the same milling concept but different wheat and behaviour. Farina is not interchangeable with durum semolina in pasta making.

USDA distinguishes semolina, unenriched (FDC 169758) and semolina, enriched (FDC 169759). The enrichment addresses folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and iron and does not affect the density. Both weigh the same per cup.

FDA identity standards for macaroni and pasta products (21 CFR Part 139) reference semolina as a defined ingredient with minimum quality specifications, and 21 CFR Part 137 (cereal flours) covers durum flour more generally. Codex Alimentarius standard CXS 178-1991 for durum wheat semolina and durum wheat flour covers the international identity and quality requirements. Neither publishes a bulk density.

The category here is 'milled' because semolina is a ground grain product, though it behaves closer to a coarse cornmeal than to a fine flour — the packing variation across scooping methods is smaller than for all-purpose or bread flour. The 10 percent milled tolerance applies. Both sources sit well inside it.