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