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French to English translations [PRO] Science - Agriculture / Wheat varieties
French term or phrase:les blés mitadins
Context: wheat extract as active ingredient in a cosmetic. In contrast with 'les blés durs' et 'les blés tendres', which I am translating as hard and soft. I cannot find any reference to this type and will use medium if need be but am hoping an expert will know the right answer.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 47 mins (2006-03-09 20:12:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
"The classes of wheat used by the Japanese milling industry are domestic soft wheat, U.S. soft wheat, U.S. semi-hard wheat, U.S. hard wheat, Canadian hard wheat, and Australian soft wheat."
"Types of Wheat
In broad terms wheat can be classified according to its hardness.
Durum has the hardest wheat grains. Its flour is used mainly to make pasta and noodles. Hard wheat
flours are best for making bread. Semi-hard wheat flours are used for general purpose flour. Soft
wheat flours are used for making products like cakes and biscuits. There are also small amounts of
speciality wheats, such as the purple grain coloured wheat, produced for use in certain types of
breads. It is used for providing colour and texture in a number of wholemeal and speciality bread
types."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 53 mins (2006-03-09 20:18:41 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
"Les blés "Mitadins" ou "blés 3M" ("M" pour "moyen"), sont "moyens" de trois façons, soit moyens dans la dureté des grains, moyens dans la teneur en protéines (de 9.5% à 12.5%) et moyens dans la force du gluten. Ils peuvent être des blés de printemps ou d'automne, à petits grains dodus, rouges ou blancs. Ces blés 3M servent à fabriquer plusieurs produits dont principalement les nouilles japonaises blanches et les nouilles chinoises jaunes, les chapattis (ou pains plats), ainsi que certains types de puddings."
The English version of this site translates this as medium, but IMO this is for convenience...
"The 3M Wheats: ("M" standing for "Medium" or average) These varieties are average at three levels: in the hardness of their grain, in their protein content (9% to 12.5%) and in their gluten level. Some are Spring wheats whereas others are of the Winter varieties. Their seeds are relatively small and somewhat roundish in shape, and are reddish or whitish in color. The 3M wheats are used in the making of a variety of products: mainly Japanese white noodles and Chinese yellow noodles, but also chapattis (flat breads), certain types of puddings, etc."
The first website quoted (www. asiakan.org) says:
"" Wheat flour processed from Canadian hard and U.S. hard wheat is mainly used for bread, while wheat flour processed from U.S. semi-hard wheat is mainly used for Chinese-style noodles. Wheat flour processed from Australian and Japanese soft wheat is used to produce crackers and Japanese-style noodles. Wheat flour processed from U.S. soft wheat goes mainly to produce cake and cookies"
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2006-03-09 20:29:26 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, for the lesbrumes site , you have to go to "nutrition" and then "Les Céréales".
My point with the last two quotations ( just in case it isn't clear...) was ""Les blés "Mitadins" ou "blés 3M"... servent à fabriquer plusieurs produits dont principalement les nouilles japonaises blanches et les nouilles chinoises jaunes" (The 3M wheats are used in the making of a variety of products: mainly Japanese white noodles and Chinese yellow noodles) ... other site...
"semi-hard wheat is mainly used for Chinese-style noodles. "
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2006-03-10 08:24:50 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Okay Bourth - there's no room in the peer comment box, so...
I understand you argument perfectly, and you are right to say that there is more to "mitadin" than just a description of the hardness or otherwise of wheat. The problem here is that, in this context, you have 'blé mitadin' as opposed to 'blé dur' and 'blé tendre', so the meaning is limited to the basic material description of a degree of hardness. The documents from INRA that you quote are all based on chemical research on the influence of nitrogen on durum wheat.
Besides, the quote I gave you briefly in my peer comment is from the document you mention in your answer to my comment. There wasn't room for the whole qotation, but here it is in context:
"Confusion often subsists between the concepts used to characterize the kernel endosperm texture. Hardness is a mechanical property, density is a physical property, and vitreousness is an optical property. On the basis of vitreousness, Dexter et al (1989) recognized three types of durum wheat kernel: vitreous, mealy, and piebald."
The context we have here is not "vitreous" versus "non-vitreous" - it is "blé dur" , "blé tendre", "blé mitadin", ie the "mechanical property" of hardness. Talking about "piebald wheat" in this context would be irrelevant, although it is perfectly justified in relation to the experiment.
Farmers and scientists are concerned by the aspect you mention, whereas the people who buy and use the wheat only consider the end product, which is the case here.
This is a wonderful example of what KudoZ can be isn't it? Bourth's research is wonderful, and fascinating now that I have time to look at it. In the case of my text FrenchtoEnglish's answer is definitely the most appropriate. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Thank you all so much for your research. This is fantastic. I wish I had time to look at it all today. I'm busy with the other 6399 words in the text... semi hard wheat is likely to be my choice in the context which is a very superficial description of the three types, but I will wait to see if I get time to look up some of your links before my midnight deadline before deciding for sure.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
16 mins confidence:
FYI
Explanation: Le blé est un terme générique qui désigne plusieurs céréales appartenant au genre Triticum. Ce sont des plantes annuelles de la famille des graminées ou Poacées, cultivées dans de très nombreux pays. Le terme blé désigne également le grain produit par ces plantes.
Le blé fait partie des trois grandes céréales avec le maïs et le riz. C'est, avec environ 600 millions de tonnes annuelles, la troisième par l'importance de la récolte mondiale, et, avec le riz, la plus consommée par l'homme. Le blé est, dans la civilisation occidentale et au Moyen-Orient, un composant central de l'alimentation humaine. Il a été domestiqué au Proche-Orient à partir d'une graminée sauvage. Sa consommation remonte à la plus haute Antiquité. Les premières cultures apparaissent au VIIIe siècle av. J.-C., en Mésopotamie et dans les vallées du Tigre et de l'Euphrate (aujourd'hui l'Irak), dans la région du Croissant fertile.
Il existe plusieurs blés, dont deux ont une importance économique réelle à l'heure actuelle :
* le blé dur (Triticum turgidum ssp durum) est surtout cultivé dans les zones chaudes et sèches (sud de l'Europe, par exemple sud de la France ou Italie). Le blé dur est très riche en gluten. Il est utilisé pour produire les semoules et les pâtes alimentaires ;
* le blé tendre, ou froment, (Triticum æstivum) de beaucoup le plus important, est davantage cultivé dans les hautes latitudes (par exemple en France, au Canada, en Ukraine). Il est cultivé pour faire la farine panifiable utilisée pour le pain.
Parmi les autres espèces qui ont été cultivées autrefois, signalons :
* l'épeautre, sous-espèce du blé tendre, à grain vêtu (qu'il faut donc décortiquer avant de moudre) (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) ;
* l'engrain ou petit-épeautre, (Triticum monococcum), espèce à grain vêtu également, à faible rendement, très anciennement cultivée, qui est en partie à l'origine des blés cultivés actuels.
IC -- Local time: 17:53 Native speaker of: Chinese
Explanation: Mitadin is a type of corn which comes between the common varieties of wheat and and durum wheat. It is cultivated in the midi and North Africa, the grain is a slightly different shape and very good quality.
Explanation: Since it's called "mitadin", I would use the name, and then gloss it for the non-specialist reader.
File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML
Le blé mitadin :. C’est un blé qui se situe entre le blé tendre et le blé dur, ... C’est la farine qui sert pour les fabrications courantes en boulangerie. ...
Carol Gullidge United Kingdom Local time: 16:53 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 8
42 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +5
semi hard wheat
Explanation: *
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 47 mins (2006-03-09 20:12:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
"The classes of wheat used by the Japanese milling industry are domestic soft wheat, U.S. soft wheat, U.S. semi-hard wheat, U.S. hard wheat, Canadian hard wheat, and Australian soft wheat."
"Types of Wheat
In broad terms wheat can be classified according to its hardness.
Durum has the hardest wheat grains. Its flour is used mainly to make pasta and noodles. Hard wheat
flours are best for making bread. Semi-hard wheat flours are used for general purpose flour. Soft
wheat flours are used for making products like cakes and biscuits. There are also small amounts of
speciality wheats, such as the purple grain coloured wheat, produced for use in certain types of
breads. It is used for providing colour and texture in a number of wholemeal and speciality bread
types."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 53 mins (2006-03-09 20:18:41 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
"Les blés "Mitadins" ou "blés 3M" ("M" pour "moyen"), sont "moyens" de trois façons, soit moyens dans la dureté des grains, moyens dans la teneur en protéines (de 9.5% à 12.5%) et moyens dans la force du gluten. Ils peuvent être des blés de printemps ou d'automne, à petits grains dodus, rouges ou blancs. Ces blés 3M servent à fabriquer plusieurs produits dont principalement les nouilles japonaises blanches et les nouilles chinoises jaunes, les chapattis (ou pains plats), ainsi que certains types de puddings."
The English version of this site translates this as medium, but IMO this is for convenience...
"The 3M Wheats: ("M" standing for "Medium" or average) These varieties are average at three levels: in the hardness of their grain, in their protein content (9% to 12.5%) and in their gluten level. Some are Spring wheats whereas others are of the Winter varieties. Their seeds are relatively small and somewhat roundish in shape, and are reddish or whitish in color. The 3M wheats are used in the making of a variety of products: mainly Japanese white noodles and Chinese yellow noodles, but also chapattis (flat breads), certain types of puddings, etc."
The first website quoted (www. asiakan.org) says:
"" Wheat flour processed from Canadian hard and U.S. hard wheat is mainly used for bread, while wheat flour processed from U.S. semi-hard wheat is mainly used for Chinese-style noodles. Wheat flour processed from Australian and Japanese soft wheat is used to produce crackers and Japanese-style noodles. Wheat flour processed from U.S. soft wheat goes mainly to produce cake and cookies"
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2006-03-09 20:29:26 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, for the lesbrumes site , you have to go to "nutrition" and then "Les Céréales".
My point with the last two quotations ( just in case it isn't clear...) was ""Les blés "Mitadins" ou "blés 3M"... servent à fabriquer plusieurs produits dont principalement les nouilles japonaises blanches et les nouilles chinoises jaunes" (The 3M wheats are used in the making of a variety of products: mainly Japanese white noodles and Chinese yellow noodles) ... other site...
"semi-hard wheat is mainly used for Chinese-style noodles. "
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2006-03-10 08:24:50 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Okay Bourth - there's no room in the peer comment box, so...
I understand you argument perfectly, and you are right to say that there is more to "mitadin" than just a description of the hardness or otherwise of wheat. The problem here is that, in this context, you have 'blé mitadin' as opposed to 'blé dur' and 'blé tendre', so the meaning is limited to the basic material description of a degree of hardness. The documents from INRA that you quote are all based on chemical research on the influence of nitrogen on durum wheat.
Besides, the quote I gave you briefly in my peer comment is from the document you mention in your answer to my comment. There wasn't room for the whole qotation, but here it is in context:
"Confusion often subsists between the concepts used to characterize the kernel endosperm texture. Hardness is a mechanical property, density is a physical property, and vitreousness is an optical property. On the basis of vitreousness, Dexter et al (1989) recognized three types of durum wheat kernel: vitreous, mealy, and piebald."
The context we have here is not "vitreous" versus "non-vitreous" - it is "blé dur" , "blé tendre", "blé mitadin", ie the "mechanical property" of hardness. Talking about "piebald wheat" in this context would be irrelevant, although it is perfectly justified in relation to the experiment.
Farmers and scientists are concerned by the aspect you mention, whereas the people who buy and use the wheat only consider the end product, which is the case here.
Very interesting debate - thanks :-))
Flo Demolis France Local time: 17:53 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 37
Grading comment
This is a wonderful example of what KudoZ can be isn't it? Bourth's research is wonderful, and fascinating now that I have time to look at it. In the case of my text FrenchtoEnglish's answer is definitely the most appropriate.
The translation workplace 
