DURUM…STANDARD OF QUALITY!

Morning in Durham country. Special country for a special kind of wheat. Hard amber durum. The aristocrat of the wheat family. Hard amber durum, the standard of quality. North Dakota durum is in constant demand by manufacturers of high quality spaghetti and macaroni products. But hard amber durum didn't just happen. It's the result of many years of painstaking research. There's a big difference between other wheats and hard amber durum. Look at the contrast between this soft, flaky, starchy kernel and this hard, glassy, flint-like amber. Into it have been bred favorable milling and cooking characteristics. High protein content. And even the right color and taste to please both the eye and the palate of the consumer. North Dakota is proud of its top rating as a durum producer and it maintains this rating with the best of research. Once amber durum was limited to a small triangle of land in North Dakota, but today production is expanded across the entire state and to other states as well. North Dakota is special wheat country because its soil is different from any other in the nation. Here in this rich, fertile earth is where amber durum grows best. Today, farming on the North Dakota prairie is an exacting science, a business, and just plain hard work. Planting the seeds is a long, dusty job. The sun warms the earth and sends the amber durum searching into the light. Dakota's warm days and cool nights invigorate the growing grain. And summer showers bring needed moisture. Grain ripens unevenly in this area, so amber durum is cut a little on the green side. After the seed kernels have been cured and dried in the warm wind, the farmer must select the exact time to thresh the ripening durum. He can get a good indication just by sampling the grain for bite and taste. But a moisture test at a nearby elevator will tell him exactly. The moment has come to thresh the durum, and across the prairie combines are rolling. This is the payoff of the growing season. Bushel after bushel of amber durum pours from the combines into trucks. First stop is the local grain elevator, where the wheat is sold, weighed, graded, and cleaned. Then loaded into box cars for the trip to the mill. At the mill, more cleaning, washing, and scouring. Followed by the break roll. The sifters. And the purifier. The break, sift, and purify operation is repeated nine times. And the end result is durum flour or semolina. It's also enriched by adding thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. Sent off now to make macaroni products of the highest quality. The mixture is simple. Only water is added. This press turns the dough into spaghetti, whose rich color comes from 100% durum. Americans consume a billion pounds of it each year. It takes a special skill to dry the spaghetti just right. The most popular shape is elbow macaroni. Which receives a different type of drying. Then on to the final step. Packaging. Macaroni foods come in over 170 different styles and shapes. Harried mothers love Durham food because their families love it. Everybody, even the most finicky eaters. Kids get the right amount of meat and vegetables, too, when they're combined with macaroni products. Nothing finicky about these two, though. Not when it comes to spaghetti and meatballs. If mom cooks too much, the rest can be frozen. In a hurry, she just opens a can or a package for a quick, delicious, economical meal. Nutritionists know the value of durum foods, which are featured in school hot lunch programs and in other institutions across the country. Macaroni and cereal products are one of the four basic foods, a primary source of muscle-building protein. They're easily digested, low in calories, and when enriched, provide a good share of the extra nutrients the body needs. From the budget viewpoint, they're economical. From the chef's viewpoint, easy to prepare. And as far as the kids are concerned, well, their enthusiasm speaks for itself. No foods are as versatile as macaroni and spaghetti made from durum wheat. Look at the variety. Of course, spaghetti and meatballs are the all-time favorite durum dish, but casseroles made from macaroni products are a close runner-up in the popularity polls. Then there are salads of a thousand different types and eye-appealing colors. Even the best noodles and the best soups are made from Dakota durum. And so is lasagna, that zestful Italian treat. For main dishes or side dishes. With meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, cheese, or fruit. In loaves or molds, at home or in a restaurant, foods from Durham prove their versatility time and time again. All this, and they're delicious, too. Serve Durham products a new way every meal, every day.