What is bulgur?
What is bulgur actually? It is used in various recipes and can be eaten hot or cold. There are different types, but what is bulgur made of? Find out everything you need to know about bulgur in this article.
What exactly is bulgur?
Bulgur is a pre-cooked wheat product made from durum wheat and is a staple food in the Levant and the Middle East. It has now also found its way onto our supermarket shelves and is used in many dishes.
What is bulgur made of?
Traditional bulgur is made from durum wheat. However, there are now also variants from regional cultivation based on spelt, buckwheat or barley. Bulgur is therefore a durum wheat product and not a grain in its own right.
But what exactly is bulgur made of? It can be explained like this: In the production process, the durum wheat is first washed and soaked to remove dirt and soften the husk. It is then placed in a large pot and steamed or boiled (depending on the method) to pre-cook the durum wheat. The bran (husk residue from the durum wheat that falls off during heating) is then removed.
The durum wheat is now a type of wheat groats (wheat porridge), which is dried in the next step. The dried and hardened wheat flour is then crushed. The bulgur is crushed coarsely, medium or finely so that it can later be used in various dishes. A small amount of bulgur is also used in the Lebanese national dish tabouleh.
Is bulgur wheat?
Yes, bulgur is processed wheat or durum wheat that is steamed, dried and crushed. For this reason, bulgur is not gluten-free. Alternatively, you can use buckwheat bulgur, for example, because buckwheat is naturally gluten-free. However, the product may contain traces of gluten due to the manufacturing process. Be sure to check the information on the packaging.
Is bulgur vegan?
Yes, because it is a natural wheat product, it is vegan. Try this vegan bulgur salad recipe with za’atar and pomegranate.
What types are there and what are they used for?
Traditionally, there is coarse, medium and fine bulgur. However, as mentioned above, there are now also products made from various grains and regional cultivation.
Depending on the degree of fineness, it is often sufficient to simply pour hot water over it and leave it to swell for a few minutes.
- Coarse bulgur: used more as a side dish, for butter bulgur or bulgur pilaf
- Fine bulgur: is used for salads, kibbeh, cigköfte or our delicious lentil bulgur balls.
Nutrients and health benefits of bulgur
Thanks to the gentle cooking process, Weinzenschrot retains important nutrients, fiber, minerals and vitamins, making it filling for a long time.
Approximate nutritional values of bulgur per 100 grams:
Calories 345
Protein 12 g
Fat 1.5 g
Carbohydrates 65 g
Dietary fiber 9.5 g
Preparing bulgur – it’s that simple
What is bulgur? You can answer this question now. Now, of course, you still need to find out how to cook bulgur properly. You can find out exactly how to do this in the article Cooking bulgur. There you will also find a few tips on how to refine the wheat grains.
Can you eat bulgur raw?
As it is already pre-cooked, you can also eat it raw – but this is not recommended because it is then simply grainy and hard and sticks everywhere between your teeth.
You can find delicious bulgur recipes in this colorful collection of recipes – try them out!
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