Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat, is a tetraploid species of wheat in the grass family Poaceae. The genus name Triticum comes from Latin “to thresh,” reflecting wheat’s role as a staple grain. The species name turgidum means “swollen” in Latin, referring to its plump kernels. The subspecies epithet durum means “hard” in Latin, describing its very hard endosperm compared to softer bread wheats. It originated in the Fertile Crescent, with domestication tracing back to early forms of emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum) around 8,000 years ago. Over time, selective cultivation for larger kernels and free-threshing characteristics gave rise to durum. Today, it is most widely grown in the Mediterranean Basin, North America (Canada and the U.S.), West Asia, and North Africa, where its cultivation thrives in semiarid conditions.

Durum wheat is the hardest of all wheats, producing semolina flour with high protein and gluten content but relatively low elasticity, making it ideal for pasta, couscous, and bulgur. It has been a cornerstone of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets for millennia. Historically, durum wheat became central to Roman and Arab cuisines, spreading with trade and empire, and remains vital to the global pasta and couscous industries today.