How to buy spelled
Buying spelled is more confusing than you might expect. But here’s what you need to know: For this farrotto I highly recommend purchasing it a semi-pearl spelled (or 30 minute cooking) for optimal cooking times and liquid absorption. I recommend Timeless OR Bob’s Red Mill Marche.
Here are some other notes worth reading before you go shopping:
Spelled and spelt are different. Due to some confusing linguistic translations between English and Italian, spelled is sometimes referred to as “spelt”.
But the spelled grains we are talking about are Not emmer. Spelled grains take forever to cook and don’t taste the same.
It is possible to buy different types of spelled. Spelled is available in whole (non-pearled), pearled and semi-pearled varieties. This is similar to wholemeal flour compared to white flour, for example, where the bran and germ are removed.
The “pealing” indicates how much bran is removed. The more the spelled is processed, or the more the bran is removed, the less time it will take to cook it. So, pearled spelled requires less time to cook, while non-pearlized spelled requires overnight soaking and a longer cooking time.
Not all brands label the type of spelled. Some brands simply say “spelt” instead of pearly OR semi-pearl. Ok, so how do you know how long your spelled will take to cook?
Second Cuisine in love, the label on the back of the package will indicate the cooking times. Whole spelled grains require at least an hour, semi-pearl spelled requires about 30 minutes, and pearl spelled requires 15 minutes or less.
