A golden sea stretches under the late summer sun. Its plump grain tips sway gently side to side. You overcome the impulse to run through the carefully sown field with your hands outstretched and simply let the tips of the wheat tickle your fingers. Before the combine goes to work and fills the air with the intoxicating aroma of freshly-cut wheat, you are transported back to ancient Rome, when wheat fields were harvested with sharp scythes, and Sicily’s rightful moniker was the Granary of Rome. 

Following in their father's footsteps, the Ferrara brothers are at the forefront of producing exquisite Sicilian flours, balancing a respect and devotion to heirloom ingredients, ancient techniques, and modern innovation. Their motto, "passion for excellence" can be tasted in every bite, as they devote themselves to producing high quality food using exclusively Sicilian-grown ancient grains. 

Cultivated on the island for centuries, lower yield producing grains such as Russello, Perciasacchi, Margherito and Maiorca were pushed aside by modernized grains in the mid-1900s. Thanks to producers like the Ferrara brothers who have devoted their businesses to supporting local farmers growing ancient grains, these beautiful heirloom varieties have begun to recover across Sicily. With exquisite flavor and texture, they produce flours that are high in protein and more easily digestible than their genetically modified cousins. 

Modernizing ancient stone-milling techniques to produce the finest durum wheat flours possible, their devotion to heirloom ingredients and traditional flavors carries forward through their production processes. Whereas stone-milling produces whole grain flours rich in minerals and proteins, modernized roller mill techniques separate the layers within wheat grains to produce a finer flour that is more shelf stable and produces lighter baked fare, but is devoid of the nutritional benefits present in a whole grain flour. With the use of their state-of-the-art stone mill, the Ferrara brother’s are able to maintain the integrity of their Sicilian ancient grains. 

The brothers similarly utilize traditional bronze dies to shape their exquisite pastas. Made from traditional durum wheat semolina and pure alkaline waters, their pasta dough is made according to traditional methods to produce al-dente textured pastas with delicious flavor. Once the dough is prepared, it passes through bronze plates, or dies, that lend a rough, porous texture to the noodle as it moves through. The result is wonderfully textured noodles that are more effective at absorbing and clinging to the sauces they’re served with.  

Innovating heritage techniques with modern technology and championing Sicilian farmers growing heirloom ancient grains, the Ferrara brothers have inspired us since the beginning.