Ciao,
My name is Vito. I am Papa Vince’s grandson. Our farm is located in Santa Ninfa, Sicily, Italy.

Before the Green Revolution in the 1950s, Ancient Grains were the staple for bread, pastas, and dough. Back then, gluten sensitivity was practically unheard of.

In 2013, after seeing some of my own family members struggle with gluten intolerance, I decided to resurrect the Ancient Grains consumed by the Roman Legionnaires.

Sicily’s elite grain provided vital energy for each Roman legionnaire trained to march 20 miles in 5 hours while carrying 60-100 lbs of gear! To accomplish this, each Roman legionnaire was provided a daily ration of 900 grams of grain (75% of their entire ration) almost this whole bag!

They are produced in Sicily, Italy.

Papa Vince is available for purchase from the Papa Vince website, as well as sold on Amazon.

Tumminia is an ancient hard wheat cultivated mainly in the Valley of Belice in western Sicily, Italy. It is the main ingredient of the famous Castelvetrano’s Slow Food designated pane nero (black bread). This wheat has 6X the amount of NATURAL OCCURRING fiber than most popular grains.

Durum is also an ancient hard wheat. In fact, it is the most popular wheat used to make bread and pasta. When compared to tumminia, this wheat has 6X less the amount of fiber.

Both Papa Vince pastas (Tumminia and Durum) are made exclusively with semolina. Compared to white flour, semolina is granular and has an intense color because it contains carotenoids and fibers. 

*NOTE: semolina is not a type of wheat, it is a type of milling.

NO, this is TRULY AN ANCIENT WHEAT from Sicily!!

These cereals yield less than common wheat, but they are more nutritious and much richer from an organoleptic point of view. In other words, they are not as profitable, but they are much better for you. 

Tumminia also called Tumilia is an ancient variety of wheat native to Sicily. This particular ancient variety was no longer cultivated in the 1950’s because:

- It did not meed the minimum yielding standards to be profitably cultivated in mass 

- It is intolerant to pesticides, insecticides and herbicides.

Recent research proved that Tumminia has lower gluten content than common wheat, and that it is particularly rich in fibers, vitamins and oligo-elements.

Tumminia is also a product at risk of extinction.

This pasta contains NO WHITE NOR ENRICHED FLOUR. 

This pasta is made with an ancient grain called Tumminia. This is the natural color of the grain. 

It has 6X the fiber than most of the popular grains in the market. It has NO SYNTHETIC FIBER. 

We stone-ground the grain and keep all its parts, including the fiber. This is why this pasta has an awesome Al Dente texture and a delicious taste.

Whole grain in the USA is white flour, with added-bought synthetic fibers plus more added-bought synthetic wheat-germs. In other words, the flour is milled until all parts are separated. The fiber and the wheatgerm are eliminated because unless treated, they reduce the shelf-life of the flour. Then synthetic fibers and synthetic wheat-germ are added to the white flour. The darkness is just added color to meet market expectations about whole grain. Have you noticed the word "ENRICHED". This is what it means.

None of Papa Vince pastas are made with ENRICHED grains or flours. They contain the original parts from the original grain. This is what mono-grain means. We refuse to eliminate the parts that reduce shelf-life. It's cost effective to do so but not health-friendly.

Remember, this pasta is naturally very high in fiber. And fiber is a bit grainy (LOL)

However, when you compare with what is out there in the market, you will find this pasta very tasty and able to hold its shape!! Which for us Italians is really important. 

GOOD NEWS 

We do not add synthetic fibers to white flour and then call it whole-wheat.

This is a single grain pasta. Extremely healthy!

Many customers that struggle with wheat intolerance and diabetes, find this pasta a great delicious-healthy choice!!

- Fiber: 6g/serving (24% DV)

- Carb: 40g/serving (13% DV)

- Sugar: 0g/serving

- Protein: 7g/serving

The Iron content is 4% of Daily Value, based on a 2000 calorie diet.

NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED.

Also... can we share a secret?

NO SYNTHETIC FIBERS ADDED. This is why this pasta is low acid, easier to digest and reduces sugar rush.

The Grain is clean. This means that it has:

- No Synthetic Fibers Added

- No Synthetic Wheat Germ Added

- No Coloring Added

- No Pesticides

- No Insecticides

- No Herbicides

The weight of each bag of pasta is 1.1 lb. Since there is 2 bags on each package, you get a total of 2.2 lb with each purchase.

Yes, it is whole grain. 

It contains the 3 parts of the grain: the original bran, the original wheatgerm and the original endosperm. 

We place emphasis on the word “original” because most whole wheat is made with processed fiber, processed wheat germ and processed endosperm coming from different sources, not necessarily the original seed. 

This particular wheat, tumminia, has more bran than the popular grain. 

If you look at the nutritional panel you will notice a 24% fiber which is 4X higher than popular wheat. This percentage was not acquired by adding more processed bran to the mix. It is actually the content of fiber of each single seed. 

Also, if you look at the nutritional panel, you will see 0% sugar. The best thing about tumminia is that it has a wonderful taste and it is super easy to digest: no bloating after eating, no intestinal inflammation, no sugar rush.

The tumminia is a very unique rare grain. As for now, it's been only cultivated in Western Sicily. 

In the 50's it was discontinued because tumminia does not tolerate pesticides very well and it has a smaller yield than the big corporations desire. 

However it has been brought back, because we Sicilians know how good this grain is for those who suffer with the stomach and the intestine.

Recent research proved that its flour has lower gluten content than common wheat, and that it is particularly rich in fibers, vitamins and oligo-elements. A true manna, rich in nutrients and lighter to digest than most other grains..... Filippo Drago, a tumminia wheat producer, explains its flour is more digestible because it contains less gluten and that, thanks to tumminia’s own characteristics, there is no need to use pesticides.

This pasta is low in gluten but it is not gluten free. 

However, if you read the reviews, you will see that many clients who are gluten intolerant can actually eat Papa Vince pasta with no issues.

We believe that most people are actually intolerant to all the pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and bleachers and anti-rodent chemicals added to the flour used to make pasta. Have you noticed how your flour never seems to go bad? Have you noticed how insects have no interest in your flour? There are reasons for that!! But since gluten does not have a lawyer, it's the easiest one to blame for everything (LOL)

If you have gluten issues, we would suggest trying a very small amount and see if you have any reactions.

Papa Vince pasta is made from wheat. Therefore, there is a small amount of lectin.

How much, we do not know since we have never measured it in the lab.

Before the Green Revolution in the 1950s, ancient wheat grains were the staple for bread, pastas, and dough. Unfortunately, these ancient grains were on the brink of extinction in favor of GMO varieties. Papa Vince decided to partner with local farmers to resurrect these precious grains.

I can't help it but I have to share few more facts:

1- Modern GMO grains require lots of fertilizers, pesticides, and chemicals that harm the environment and necessitate high-input irrigation and energy costs whereas the ancient grains because of their genetic makeup are naturally adapted to their environment growing without the need for any human intervention.

2 - Ancient Grains are rich in Resistant Starch that slows digestion, lowering both glucose and insulin levels after meals so that you can feel satiated for hours without that sleepy and bloated feeling.

3- Ancient Grains in their natural form have a much weaker (3x smaller) gluten index, reducing gluten sensitivity and gastrointestinal symptoms

4- Small Batch Stone Milling with natural yeast is very rich in lactobacilli that pre-digest gluten proteins with potentially inflammatory effects [LESS BLOATING] before they get to your plate.

Aren't all these facts wonderful!!!

This worldwide pandemic has made it clear that we cannot longer be passive about our health. If we really want to overcome this crisis, we all must start playing our parts responsibly. 

As a food producer, we are committed to provide food that truly delivers the nutritional values that our clients need to achieve a strong immune system and reduced inflammation.

Yes, it is whole grain. 

It contains the 3 parts of the grain: the original bran, the original wheatgerm and the original endosperm. 

We place emphasis on the word “original” because most whole wheat is made with processed fiber, processed wheat germ and processed endosperm coming from different sources, not necessarily the original seed. 

This particular wheat, tumminia, has more bran than the popular grain. 

If you look at the nutritional panel you will notice a 24% fiber which is 4X higher than popular wheat. This percentage was not acquired by adding more processed bran to the mix. It is actually the content of fiber of each single seed. 

Also, if you look at the nutritional panel, you will see 0% sugar. The best thing about tumminia is that it has a wonderful taste and it is super easy to digest: no bloating after eating, no intestinal inflammation, no sugar rush.

Because we believe in HEALTH FIRST, we go out of our way to ensure that our ingredients are only the best and that our process does not compromise in any step the integrity of the product and the health of our customers.

That being said, our products are not designed to be cost effective but to be health effective. You can read our reviews, for every single one of our products, from the extra virgin olive oil, to the pastas, to the tomato sauce. You read about happy people whose health has been given a second chance because of what we stand for: CLEAN FOODS WITH NO CHEMICALS AND ONLY BEST INGREDIENTS.

There are lots of brands out there that are offering great prices. Papa Vince is not in that market. We are in the market of helping people get their health back.

As you know, making good quality food is like swimming against that tide nowadays. But thanks to our customers, we have been able to swim forward with our vision that health is a greater priority than money. 

We count on our customers to spread the word. We count on them writing reviews. This is our best advertising. Thanks in advance

- Vitina

We wish we could sell in supermarkets. We have tried several times unsuccessfully!! Supermarkets are very concerned about using their shelf space effectively and therefore decisions are made based on Brand Recognition and competitive prices.

Since we are a small family business, we lack both at this moment.

We know the pasta is more expensive but there are reasons for that:

(1) ONLY QUALITY INGREDIENTS:
- We only use ancient grains grown locally in Sicily. These grains are 3X the price of the ones grown in USA and Canada.
- We do not use flour. We use ground-stone semolina preserving this way the natural fiber, protein and vitamins contain in the grain.
- It contains 3 ingredients: water and semolina and salt. All ingredients you can pronounce.
- Non enriched, non bleached.

(2) LAB TESTED: to ensure no pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides are not used in farming

THE GOOD NEWS
The last weeks we have been contacted by numerous clients who had digestion and intestinal problems and they are thanking us for taking the bold step of producing such a product of quality that really enhances their health.

Store Papa Vince pasta in a cool, dry place like your pantry. Preserve freshness by storing dry it in an air-tight box or container.

About 2 years of the day of harvest.

If kept in appropriate conditions, this pasta has at least 2 years of shelf life. The most crucial factor is humidity. Very High humidity may decrease the shelf life of this pasta.

We are so excited to hear how your daughter can again enjoy pasta without feeling sick or bloated!!

As a food producer, we are committed to provide food that truly delivers the nutritional values that our clients need to achieve a strong immune system and reduced inflammation. You cannot imagine the joy we felt when you wrote that your daughter did not feel bloated nor sick.

When we entered the market, we were called foolish.

No distributor nor supermarket wanted to take our line of products because we were told that the USA market has no interest in quality. When it comes to food, we were told, it is OK to compromise the health of your customers to reduce cost.

We do not know how to compromise quality because we have not been wired to make money, but to be a blessing. We can assure you that when you had your dish of Papa Vince busiate pasta you did not experience swelling either lethargy.

We get emails and emails from customers thanking us because though they are gluten intolerant, for some unknown reason, they experience no symptoms when consuming Papa Vince Pasta.

Yes, we are a bit more expensive but...

We are keeping our customers from the doctor and prescription drugs. In the long run, that is the BEST SAVING!!!