Etymology
from the Latin simila meaning flour

Description
Semolina consists of a relatively hard ground cereal in the form of granules. The grains are moistened, ground, dried, then sifted. Often made from wheat, semolina also has some particular varieties: 

• white semolina comes from rice
• semolina for polenta comes from corn 
• semolina for kasha comes from buckwheat 
• yellow semolina = wheat colored with saffron or turmeric 

Nutritional values 

• rich in carbohydrates
• rich in minerals if the semolina is "ordinary" rather than "superior" quality 

Uses

• fine semolina is used to make pasta 
• medium and coarse semolina is used in soups and desserts 
• couscous, tabbouleh and gnocchi are made from semolina