The next great grain

Farro, it seems, is becoming the next quinoa. This hearty Italian wheat variety has surged in popularity among Californian foodies—and what that will do to the price-per-pound remains to be seen. Currently, farro may run $4 or more per pound—almost as prohibitive as quinoa, which shot from $1.50 or so per pound to more than $5 in just five years. That was a painful, turbulent time for us 99 percenters, but farro may help heal our wounds.

Considering its historical place alongside the many sweet and savory products of Mediterranean agriculture, I recently tested farro as the base of a simple salad at my family’s Christmas dinner. I totally winged the recipe. I cooked 2 cups of farro in salted water until soft yet firm—about 40 minutes. Then I combined the grain with chopped pistachios, pomegranate seeds, diced dates, ground cumin and minced arugula in a large bowl. I dressed the salad with Meyer lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar, then placed it on the table. The family vegetarians began moaning and groaning with pleasure.

Farro’s price at the better grocery stores where it’s sold will almost certainly preclude it, for now, from becoming anything but a luxurious treat. If prices should nosedive, we’ll know something of what it felt like to be a peasant in Tuscany long ago—but if prices should blow through the roof, we will, I suppose, simply go looking for the next great grain.