Farina (food)

Farina is a form of milled wheat most often used to prepare hot cereal for breakfast. The word "farina" is Latin, meaning meal or flour. It is made from the germ and endosperm of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. This results in a carbohydrate-rich food. When enriched, it is one of the best sources of dietary iron available, especially for vegetarian diets, with most brands offering as much as 50% of the recommended daily value in a single 120-calorie serving. For commercial cereals the bran and most of the germ are removed and is sometimes enriched with Vitamin B and iron. Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, and Farina Mills are popular brand names of breakfast cereal. Due to its mild taste, the cereal is often flavored with brown sugar, maple, honey, nuts, cinnamon, butter, grated chocolate, jams, salt, fruits and combinations and variations of these items.

Farina can also be cooked like polenta and farofa. It can also be used to prevent dough from sticking to baking surfaces via the baking process, leaving residual farina on the bottom of the final product.