balls that readily absorb the flavor from a sauce Today gluten is widely available and used to make a variety of vegetarian “meats.” Notable Wheat Preparations Whole grains of wheat, often called wheat berries, are usually sold with their bran fully intact, and can take an hour or more to cook unless presoaked Farro is now available with part of its bran milled away — similar to partly milled pigmented rice and wild rice — and cooks much more quickly, while retaining the stronger flavor and integrity of separate grains provided by the bran Wheat germ is sometimes added to baked goods or other foods; it is a good source of protein (20% by weight), oil (10%), and fiber (13%) Wheat bran is mainly fiber, with about 4% oil Their oil content makes both bran and germ susceptible to developing stale flavors They’re best stored in the refrigerator Bulgur Bulgur or burghul is an ancient preparation of wheat — usually durum — that’s still popular in North Africa and the Middle East It’s made by cooking whole grains in water, drying them so that the interior becomes glassy and hard, then moistening them to toughen the outer bran layer, and finally pounding or milling to remove the bran and germ and leave the endosperm in coarse chunks It’s the wheat version of parboiled rice (p 473) The result is a nutritious form of wheat that keeps indefinitely and cooks relatively quickly Coarse bulgur (to 3.5 mm across) is used much as rice or couscous is, boiled or steamed to go with a moist dish or made into a pilaf or a salad, while fine bulgur (0.5–2 mm) is made into falafel (deep-fried balls of bulgur and fava-bean flour), and various pudding-like sweets Green, or Immature Wheat Green wheat grains have also been enjoyed for their ... moistening them to toughen the outer bran layer, and finally pounding or milling to remove the bran and germ and leave the endosperm in coarse chunks It’s the wheat version of parboiled rice (p 473) The. ..preparation of wheat — usually durum — that’s still popular in North Africa and the Middle East It’s made by cooking whole grains in water, drying them so that the interior becomes glassy and hard, then... a salad, while fine bulgur (0 .5–2 mm) is made into falafel (deep-fried balls of bulgur and fava-bean flour), and various pudding-like sweets Green, or Immature Wheat Green wheat grains have also been enjoyed for their