History & Health Benefits of Bulghur Wheat

Bulghur (also called Bulgur or Bulgar) wheat is a cereal food often comprised of several different blends or varieties of wheat; however, durum wheat is most often used. The wheat is parboiled, dried and then ground or cracked into three grinds - fine, medium, and coarse. Because of the grinding process, bulghur wheat has a light nutty flavor due to the bran in the wheat being exposed. Further, because of its appearance it is often confused with cracked wheat (Source: Wikipedia).

Bulghur wheat can be used in pilafs, soups, and baked goods (often interchangeable with cracked wheat) and even as a breakfast cereal served with milk and sugar. Bulghur wheat is the main ingredient in Tabbouleh. Bulghur wheat is a popular and frequently used ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking including Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine.

Bulghur wheat is more nutritious than rice and couscous. It holds more fiber, vitamins (such as Vitamin B), minerals (such as iron, phosphorous and manganese) and protein than rice or couscous. It also has the added benefit of being good for diabetics as it has a glycemic index (the measurement of carbohydrate and sugar in foods) of 46, thus the low number it is slower to absorb into the body, thus less insulin is needed. Bulghur wheat is high in potassium, which is needed for the body to help with neuron and cell growth as well as maintaining a balanced diet. When used in combination with legumes (such as kidney beans) it will complement the protein profile, making the meal complete. The same holds true with combined with green vegetables (such as spinach) as this will complete and complement the Vitamin B profile of the meal.

Vegetarians used Bulghur wheat to help complete the protein profile in meals and gaining more nutrients. Bulghur wheat is easy to prepare, as it is prepared much like couscous in that boiling liquid is poured over the bulghur wheat, the dish is covered and allowed to steam. It can be eaten plain or added to any dish that uses rice or couscous.

It is interesting to note that 8,000 years ago, bulghur wheat was prepared and eaten as a breakfast cereal (much like instant cream of wheat) in European countries (Source: Discovery Channel). The wheat was gathered in the summer, dried and stored where it was then processed into what is now known as bulghur wheat. According to archeologists, it was a main staple in daily life as it was easy to prepare and stored well.

Bulghur wheat remains a popular dish and ingredient in many dishes not only for its nutritional capabilities, but also for its taste.