If farro was good enough to fuel the Roman legions, it should be good enough for us, but over the years the crop fell out of cultivation and other higher-yielders took over. Farro is a bit fiddly too, which may explain its fall from grace: grains must be pre-soaked for at least eight hours before use and the texture is firm and chewy at the best of times. Buy whole grain if you can and whizz in a food processor if a finer grain is required. Tuscans use farro to bulk up winter soups, and as the base for a version of risotto. Also known as emmer wheat and sometimes spelled with one ‘r’.
Farro recipe
Farro, mushrooms and tomatoes