Semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat endosperm — the granular, golden-yellow product that is the basis of most dried pasta, couscous, and traditional semolina puddings. It has higher protein than standard wheat flour (around 12-13g/100g), provides useful selenium, iron, and B vitamins, and the firm durum gluten gives pasta its characteristic al dente bite.
Fine semolina makes smooth pasta dough; coarse semolina gives focaccia its crispy base. For a quick side dish, stir semolina into hot salted water (4:1 ratio) and cook 10-15 minutes like polenta.
Where Semolina (Durum Wheat) Stands Out
Macronutrients per 100g
Glycemic Index & Load
High GI food — causes a rapid rise in blood sugar. Best eaten in small portions combined with lower-GI foods, protein, or fat.
Glycemic Load (GL = GI × carbs ÷ 100) accounts for portion size. A high GL — keep portions modest.
Vitamins & Minerals
| Nutrient | Per 100g | % Daily Value* | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 214 mg | 11% | |
| Phosphorus | 161 mg | 23% | |
| Chloride | 49.0 mg | 6% | |
| Magnesium | 34.0 mg | 9% | |
| Folate | 29.0 µg | 15% | |
| Calcium | 22.0 mg | 3% | |
| Selenium | 6.00 µg | 11% | |
| Niacin equivalents (NE) | 4.10 mg | 26% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.80 mg | 11% | |
| Iron | 1.29 mg | 9% | |
| Zinc | 1.00 mg | 10% | |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.740 mg | 12% | |
| Manganese | 0.550 mg | 28% | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-TE) | 0.430 mg | 4% | |
| Copper | 0.240 mg | 24% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.130 mg | 12% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.100 mg | 7% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.050 mg | 4% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C | 0.000 mg | 0% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Iodine | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) | 0.650 g | — | |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.160 g | — | |
| Sucrose | 0.400 g | — | |
| Maltose | 0.100 g | — | |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 0.000 g | — | |
| Fructose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Cholesterol | 0.000 mg | — | |
| Glutamic acid | 3.81 g | — | |
| Aspartic acid | 0.953 g | — | |
| Leucine | 0.876 g | — | |
| Proline | 0.699 g | — | |
| Valine | 0.648 g | — | |
| Arginine | 0.635 g | — | |
| Phenylalanine | 0.622 g | — | |
| Serine | 0.572 g | — | |
| Alanine | 0.508 g | — | |
| Isoleucine | 0.508 g | — | |
| Tyrosine | 0.445 g | — | |
| Glycine | 0.445 g | — | |
| Threonine | 0.419 g | — | |
| Lysine | 0.381 g | — | |
| Methionine | 0.330 g | — | |
| Histidine | 0.305 g | — | |
| Cysteine | 0.229 g | — | |
| Tryptophan | 0.152 g | — | |
| Beta-carotene | 0.000 µg | — | |
| Biotin (Vitamin B7) | 2.30 µg | 5% | |
| Retinol (vitamin A) | 0.000 µg | 0% |
* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult
EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food.
NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on
food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label.
They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they
sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg
where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the
reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.
Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK
Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two
are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead.
How we source and normalise our data →