Bulgur Explained

Bulgur[1] or borghol[2] is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Middle Eastern[3] and South Asian cuisines, among others. It is a cereal food made from the groats of several different wheat species.

Characteristics

Bulgur is produced by parboiling raw wheat, which is then de-hulled, dried, and cracked.[4] Bulgur is a common ingredient in cuisines of many countries of the West Asian cuisine and Mediterranean Basin,[5] [6] [7] such as Syria.[8] It has a light, nutty flavor.[9]

Bulgur is recognized as a whole grain by the United States Department of Agriculture.[10]

Composition and nutrition

Cooked bulgur is 78% water, 19% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). A 100g reference serving supplies 350kJ of food energy. A study of uncooked samples from different sources found, with some variation between samples, about 9% protein, 11% moisture, 1% ash, 70% starch of which 2–2.8% beneficial resistant starch, 7% fibre, mostly beneficial insoluble fibre.[11]

Etymology

The word bulgur is the Turkish pronunciation of the Arabic burghul (Arabic: برغل), which is ultimately borrowed from the Farsi barghul.[12] [13]

History

Bulgur originated in the ancient middle east, food historian Gil Marks dates it to circa 4000BC. It is one of the first processed foods ever created. In medieval times, it was used to create kishk; a yogurt preserve made by drying a yoghurt and milk mixture, recipes for it can be found as early as the 10th century in the Arabic cookbook kitab al-tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq.[14] Bulgur was largely unknown in North America until the 20th century when it was brought in by Armenian, Syrian, and Jewish immigrants.[15]

Culinary uses

Bulgur does not require cooking, although it can be included in cooked dishes; soaking in water is all that is needed.[16]

Coarse bulgur is used to make pottages,[17] while the medium and fine grains are used as breakfast cereals,[18] and in pilavs, breads,[19] salads such as kısır, and dessert puddings such as kheer.[20] [21] Bulgur porridge is similar to frumenty, a cracked wheat porridge that was a staple of medieval cuisine.[22] [23]

In breads, it adds a whole-grain component. It is a main ingredient in kibbeh and in tabbouleh salad. It is often used where rice or couscous could be used. It can be used to accompany other dishes in the same way as pasta or rice.

Armenians prepare bulgur as a pilaf in chicken stock, with or without sautéed noodles, or cooked with tomatoes, onions, herbs and red pepper. Finely ground bulgur is used for making eetch, a salad similar to tabbouleh.[24]

In Greece, it is known as Greek, Modern (1453-);: πλιγούρι (Greek, Modern (1453-);: pligouri) and in Cyprus as Greek, Modern (1453-);: πουρκούρι (Greek, Modern (1453-);: pourkouri), where it is used to make Greek, Modern (1453-);: κούπες (Greek, Modern (1453-);: koupes, known as Turkish: içli köfte in Turkish), a variety of kibbeh. It is deep-fried, with a crust made of fine bulgur, flour, oil, salt and egg, filled with ground meat (beef, pork, or both), onions, parsley and spices.

The Saudi Arabian version of bulgur, especially common in Nejd and Al-Hasa, is known as Arabic: jarish (ar|جَريش).[25]

Production and consumption

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Food Engineering found that the consumption of bulgur in south and east Turkey was 2 and 2.5 times that of pasta and rice, respectively, with the average person consuming 25 kilograms of bulgur annually, and in the Levant, Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, it reached 30-35 kilograms annually.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Bulgur. 15 July 2023 . Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
  2. Web site: Burghul | Define Burghul at Dictionary.com . Dictionary.reference.com . 2014-03-20 . 2016-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160217000359/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/burghul . live .
  3. Bayram . Mustafa . Öner . Mehmet D. . Bulgur milling using roller, double disc and vertical disc mills . Journal of Food Engineering . March 2007 . 79 . 1 . 181–187 . 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2006.01.042 . 29 January 2026. subscription .
  4. Book: Celine Steen. Tamasin Noyes. The Great Vegan Grains Book: Celebrate Whole Grains with More than 100 Delicious Plant-Based Recipes * Includes Soy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes!. 15 November 2015. Fair Winds Press. 978-1-62788-826-4. 11. 29 October 2017. 4 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230704013941/https://books.google.com/books?id=t8H_CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA11. live.
  5. Book: Irina Petrosian. David Underwood. Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore. 2006. Lulu.com. 978-1-4116-9865-9. 58. 2017-10-29. 2023-07-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20230704013944/https://books.google.com/books?id=0oXYX9Qzx9oC&pg=PA58. live.
  6. Book: LeeAnne Gelletly. The Kurds. 17 November 2014. Mason Crest. 978-1-63355-946-2. 83. 29 October 2017. 4 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230704013945/https://books.google.com/books?id=xDCRBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT83. live.
  7. Book: Albala, Ken . Ken Albala . Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia . 25 May 2011 . . Santa Barbara, CA . 978-0-313-37627-6 . 261 . 10.5040/9798400652585 . 1452736210 . 60031138 . 29 October 2017 . 4 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704013945/https://books.google.com/books?id=zG1H75z0EYYC&pg=PA261 . live.
  8. Web site: Syria's Detainee Files . .
  9. Book: Victoria Wise. The Pressure Cooker Gourmet: 225 Recipes for Great-Tasting, Long-Simmered Flavors in Just Minutes. 3 December 2004. Harvard Common Press. 978-1-55832-201-1. 230. 29 October 2017. 4 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230704014029/https://books.google.com/books?id=yWW-22bcSP4C&pg=PA230. live.
  10. Book: Jacqueline B. Marcus. Culinary Nutrition: The Science and Practice of Healthy Cooking. 15 April 2013. Academic Press. 978-0-12-391883-3. 561,300.
  11. Tacer Caba . Zeynep . Boyacioglu . M. Hikmet . Boyacioglu . Dilek . Bioactive healthy components of bulgur . International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition . 63 . 2 . 2012 . 0963-7486 . 10.3109/09637486.2011.639748 . 250–256. 22136100 .
  12. Web site: bulgur . . 26 January 2026 . tr.
  13. Book: Marks . Gil . Gil Marks . Encyclopedia of Jewish Food . 17 November 2010 . HMH . 978-0-544-18631-6 . 26 January 2026 . en . Bulgur.
  14. Book: al-Warrāq . al-Muẓaffar Ibn Naṣr Ibn Sayyār . Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayy?r Al-Warr?q's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook . 26 November 2007 . BRILL . 978-90-04-15867-2 . 9 February 2026 . en . Nawal Nasrallah . Nawal Nasrallah . 74,291,570,559.
  15. Book: Salloum . Habeeb . Center . University of Regina Canadian Plains Research . Habeeb Salloum . Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead: Recipes and Recollections . 2005 . University of Regina Press . 978-0-88977-182-6 . 22 . Burghul: The cornerstone of our diet in the depression years . 8 February 2026 . en.
  16. Web site: Weeknight Vegetarian: Don't cook these grains. Soak them. . The Washington Post . 15 July 2014 . Joe . Yonan . 12 October 2018 . 13 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181013014254/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/weeknight-vegetarian-dont-cook-these-grains-soak-them/2014/07/14/4c00073c-0927-11e4-a0dd-f2b22a257353_story.html . live .
  17. Web site: Shulman. Martha Rose. Winter Tomato Soup With Bulgur Recipe. NYT Cooking. 2018-08-30. registration. 2018-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20180830110634/https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014581-winter-tomato-soup-with-bulgur. live.
  18. Web site: Breakfast Bulgur Porridge. Martha Stewart. 2018-08-30. 2011-01-03. 2018-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20180830110438/https://www.marthastewart.com/315325/breakfast-bulgur-porridge. live.
  19. Web site: Shulman. Martha Rose. Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread With Bulgur Recipe. NYT Cooking. 2018-08-30. 2018-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20180830110641/https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014583-whole-wheat-irish-soda-bread-with-bulgur. live.
  20. Book: Salloum, Habeeb. Tuttle Publishing. 978-1-4629-0524-9. The Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking. 2012-02-28. 2018-08-30. 2023-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230815114434/https://books.google.com/books?id=v5TTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16. live.
  21. Web site: Recipe: Bulgur pudding with fruit, nuts and honey. Los Angeles Times. 11 May 2013. 2018-08-30. 2018-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20180830110327/http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-bulgur-rec3-20130511-story.html. live.
  22. Book: Rogosa, Eli. Chelsea Green Publishing. 978-1-60358-671-9. Restoring Heritage Grains: The Culture, Biodiversity, Resilience, and Cuisine of Ancient Wheats. 2016-07-01. 2018-08-30. 2023-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230815114259/https://books.google.com/books?id=dWCiDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA171. live.
  23. Book: Stackpole Books. 978-0-8117-4430-0. Diehl. Daniel. Donnelly. Mark P.. Medieval Celebrations: Your Guide to Planning and Hosting Spectacular Feasts, Parties, Weddings, and Renaissance Fairs. 2011-04-13. 2018-08-30. 2023-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230815114300/https://books.google.com/books?id=C3y2ouPmZLIC&pg=PA89. live.
  24. News: In Lebanon, women are carving their way into the culinary scene . 8 February 2026 . Middle East Eye . 29 March 2018 . en.
  25. Saudi Aramco World. Food from Saudi Arabia. Lyn. Maby. https://web.archive.org/web/20150107071043/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197506/flavored.with.tradition-food.from.saudi.arabia.htm . 2015-01-07 . live. 32–40. November–December 1975.

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