# Making makrouds: Why is it impossible to find semolina in US markets?



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I was looking for semolina the other day, and couldn't find any after looking for it in multiple diverse supermarkets.

I can find semolina flour, I can find farina, I can find about ten different textures (sizes) of bulgur, I can find pre-cooked couscous, I can find cracked wheat, I can even find whole wheat (the entire grain), I can find many forms of wheat flours, but no semolina anywhere.

Does nobody cook with semolina in the U.S.? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif

PS: If anyone is interested I was making makrouds, and I ended up making them with farina, which turned out ok, I guess next time I'll order semolina online beforehand.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

What are makrouds? 

Have you tried asking at an italian bakery?  I can't find semolina in any market but I ask my local bakery to bag me up some of their 00 semolina flour.  It's not on the shelf or anything, they just sell me some of what they use.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You must be looking for a special type of semolina.  I use semolina all the time at home.  Have you tried Bob's Red Mill?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

kuan said:


> You must be looking for a special type of semolina. I use semolina all the time at home. Have you tried Bob's Red Mill?


AFAIK they make semolina flour (ground semolina), but not semolina, which is coarse.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Koukouvagia said:


> What are makrouds?
> 
> Have you tried asking at an italian bakery? I can't find semolina in any market but I ask my local bakery to bag me up some of their 00 semolina flour. It's not on the shelf or anything, they just sell me some of what they use.


Haven't tried an Italian place. Makrouds are a north African pastry made out of semolina and dates, deep fried and dipped in honey. It's one of my favorite desserts.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

My middle name is "fried and dipped in honey!"  Try the italian bakery, for sure they have 00 semolina flour.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

That really sounds good, FF. Would you mind posting a recipe?


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## will47 (Oct 7, 2011)

Koukouvagia said:


> My middle name is "fried and dipped in honey!" Try the italian bakery, for sure they have 00 semolina flour.


The OP wants semolina -- _not_ semolina flour.

Try an Indian market if there are any near you.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

will47 said:


> The OP wants semolina -- _not_ semolina flour.
> 
> Try an Indian market if there are any near you.


What's the difference?


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## will47 (Oct 7, 2011)

Koukouvagia said:


> What's the difference?


Hm - you're right, after reading the wikipedia page on semolina a bit more closely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina

has a pretty good explanation of what Semolina is and isn't, and what differentiates it from farina.

Semolina is always the byproduct of milling of durham wheat, so while there is finer and coarser semolina, it's always going to be a flour / meal -- it's just the coarseness that varies. I have to assume that they're looking for something coarser than what is used for making pasta etc. I thought the semolina sold at Indian markets might be a coarser type.

This recipe specifies "medium" semolina.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/dining/01roshrex1.html


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Semolina pudding (a milk pudding like a rice pudding or tapioca) was a staple of British school lunches.....  It wasn't very nice as a milk pudding, but I've had it in other dishes and liked it!


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

I still don't know what exactly it is. Maybe it's because I've never ever seen it!! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Koukouvagia said:


> What's the difference?


Semolina is coarse. Semolina flour is ground semolina.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Ishbel said:


> Semolina pudding (a milk pudding like a rice pudding or tapioca) was a staple of British school lunches..... It wasn't very nice as a milk pudding, but I've had it in other dishes and liked it!


We had "semolina cake" when I was young. My mum used to whip it in seconds. It was either unflavored, served with jam, or flavored with cocoa powder. However what we call semolina in France is not necessarily the same as what's called semolina in english. In English, semolina always comes from Durum wheat, whereas in France, we have "tender wheat semolina" (semoule de ble tendre) so.. not durum.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I make an orange/semolina/almond cake which I think has Lebanese origins. 

I don't dislike semolina - just the school version of that milky pud!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

KYHeirloomer said:


> That really sounds good, FF. Would you mind posting a recipe?


Makrouds:

*Dough:*

9 ounces semolina flour

9 ounces semolina

1 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3.5 oz melted butter

1/2 cup orange flower water

Warm water

*Filling:*

8 oz dates

Pinch cinnamon

1 tsp melted butter

1 tsp orange flower water

+ oil for frying

+ honey for dipping

• *Filling*: Steam the dates (20mn), let cool, add other filling ingredients and roughly mix with your fingers. Shape as a 1" diameter cylinder/log.

• *Dough*: Mix dry ingredients, add butter and mix gently, not too much, add water and orange flower water to desired consistency (like a dough). Cover and rest 1/2hr.

• *Assemblage: *Spread dough and put filling cylinder in the middle, bring dough back together on either side of filling to close the filling inside, you now have a long cylinder of dough with date filling in the center. Cut diagonally to make little lozenges.

• *Cooking:* Fry makrouds briefly in hot oil, place on rack and let dry, then dip in warmed honey, place on rack to dry, dip in honey again, place on rack to dry.

ENJOY! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Wow, FF, that's moving high on my to-try list.

One question: Are those fresh or dry dates you're using?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Wow, FF, that's moving high on my to-try list.
> 
> One question: Are those fresh or dry dates you're using?


You know I'm still not sure what the difference is? If you remember we had that discussion a couple of years ago... so those are definitely not green, unripe dates, but they're just the regular Medjool dates you buy at the store. Those were purchased in the bulk bins from Whole Foods, where the employee told me they were fresher than the ones you buy wrapped in small containers because they keep changing the ones in the bulk bins all the time. I'm not sure how much of an expert the WF employees is though.

I've bought tons and tons of dates in my lifetime, I absolutely LOVE them, I must have tasted at least 12 or 14 different kinds, and I'm still unable to tell the difference between fresh and dried. Maybe I've just never had dried dates? How do you tell?


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Next time you're in the supermarket check out the packages of dates. They'll either be in the baking section or where they keep the raisins and other dried fruits. Those boxes contain drie4d, chopped dates.

Simarlary, at the local health-food coop, they have dates that have been dried, ground, and passed through an extruder so they look like small pieces of worms.

Those medjools that you're buying are whole, fresh (well, as fresh as anything in a market today) dates---soft, and sticky, and dark as home-made sin.

I'm always thankful for the dried ones, because it's such a short season on the fresh ones. Not as short as with fresh figs, but short enough.

So, with the makrouds, you'll using the whole date? Doesn't get chopped or such?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Well I never, ever buy dates that have been chopped or prepared in any way. I only buy whole dates, usually from the market, sometimes the bulk bin, rarely from a package. However, I can find the medjools in the bulk bin year long, there's no season when they aren't available. So... still confused./img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif

For the makrouds, I steam the whole dates, let cool, then add the melted butter, cinnamon and orange flower water and mix briefly with my entire hands. The dates stay fairly whole.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Count your blessings! Here, the whole, fresh dates are only available a few months of the year. Figs are even worse, as the availability of fresh figs is measured in scant weeks---three, if we're lucky, and often not even that long. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Put semolina in food processor ,run for about 5 minutes==flour.. Run Kasha  in processor == whole wheat flour. You gotta improvise sometimes.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Count your blessings! Here, the whole, fresh dates are only available a few months of the year. Figs are even worse, as the availability of fresh figs is measured in scant weeks---three, if we're lucky, and often not even that long. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif


You've got to love california, where everything is always in season. The only issue being, I've lost complete track of the seasons. Green peas, for example are only UNavailable for about 2 months of the year!!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Originally Posted by *French Fries* 


> You've got to love california, where everything is always in season.


Testify!

BDL


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Just came back from the farmer's market, talked to the date farmer, and they explained that they had most dates year round because they produced so much that they could keep some in cold rooms to sell year round. Seasons depends on dates, for example they had some fresh Bahri, which I bought, they're absolutely delicious. They don't produce a lot of those so they're only available 3 months of the years. The rest, including Medjool, honey dates, empress, they offer year round. 

She said they sometimes have dried empress dates, but not often.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

boar_d_laze said:


> Testify!
> 
> BDL


Not sure what you mean. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Um, not positive, but I believe BDL is agreeing...



French Fries said:


> Not sure what you mean. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

"Testify" is an exhortation during a church service for the speaker to continue with his truth; it comes from U.S. southern "black" churches. Perhaps, I just should have said, "Amen."

BDL


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Ah... thanks... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif Just came back from the Farmer's market where we bought... peaches! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif End of October!!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Isn't   that what lawyers make people do?????????  Ha Ha


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

chefedb said:


> Put semolina in food processor ,run for about 5 minutes==flour.. Run Kasha in processor == whole wheat flour. You gotta improvise sometimes.


/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif Reminds me of an old joke:

2 guys are dying of thirst in the desert.

- I'm sooooo thirsty.

- I've heard that sucking on pebbles soothes thirst.

- But we're in the desert, all we have is sand, there are no pebbles!

- I wish there was a river. You can usually find pebbles at the bottom of rivers.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Finally took some pictures. My first food photographs ever! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

You should be so proud FF, they look so good....I feel like biting into one.

It is a great picture .

Petals.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks petals! I feel like biting into one myself, unfortunately they're all long gone...  I need to make new ones!!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Back at making makrouds, and I still cannot find medium coarse semolina anywhere.... guess I'm going to make them using farina again!


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Bobs Red Mill??

http://www.bobsredmill.com/semolina-pasta-flour.html

I use it for the pizza peel.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

chefbuba said:


> Bobs Red Mill??
> 
> http://www.bobsredmill.com/semolina-pasta-flour.html


Thanks - but that's semolina _flour _(fine semolina). I'm looking for medium coarse semolina.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

French Fries said:


> Back at making makrouds, and I still cannot find medium coarse semolina anywhere.... guess I'm going to make them using farina again!


No, not until you try a greek specialty store, there sell coarse semolinas there. It is a popular greek ingredient that is used to make halva.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Koukouvagia said:


> No, not until you try a greek specialty store, there sell coarse semolinas there. It is a popular greek ingredient that is used to make halva.


Semolina in greek markets? Used to make Halva? I had no idea!!! Ok now I have to find a greek market. Thanks for the suggestion!

PS: Funny, I found an internet greek store, and when I look up "semolina" the only results I get are Halva! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


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## chicagoterry (Apr 3, 2012)

Do you have a Middle Eastern market anywhere nearby? The one in my neighborhood has farina and semolina. So do the Indian markets in the South Asian neighborhood. In the Indian markets it is called Rawa or Rava or Sooji.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

ChicagoTerry said:


> Do you have a Middle Eastern market anywhere nearby? The one in my neighborhood has farina and semolina.


Yes I do have a few, the biggest ones are Cambridge Farms and Jons, and what they label "semolina" is actually enriched semolina flour... like this:

http://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-semolina-enriched-17-2976/

View media item 127823
I will check out Indian stores!


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## chicagoterry (Apr 3, 2012)

@French Fries

There is an enlargeable picture of the grains of Bombay Rava here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_rava


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)




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