For the uninitiated, Farro is a savoury grain that has been used in Italian cooking for generations. It is often confused with freekeh and spelt due to some shared characteristics and can be found in three different grain sizes – farro piccolo, farro medio, farro grande as well as whole grain and semi-pearled varieties. Once the initial confusion of what type you need to purchase is overcome, preparation is easy as pie. The whole grain variety requires overnight soaking before being used in any dish, while semi-pearled has some bran removed and can therefore be cooked faster. One cup of farro reportedly has around 8 grams of cholesterol-lowering fibre as well as featuring complex carbs that break down slowly, keeping energy levels stable.

Once you have wrapped your head around farro, what kind you have and how to prepare it, there are plenty of recipes that you can incorporate it into. A simple farro salad with roasted vegetables will go over a treat at the dinner table, as would a farro, lentil and goat’s cheese salad. Farro makes for great comfort food – try it in a farro and herb pilaf with sausage, mushrooms and spinach or farro with Swiss chard and radicchio. When the temperature drops ditch the Arborio rice and whip up a farro risotto or stir cook some farro soup to warm you up.