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Bulgur
Found in: Words of Turkish origin
Bulgur (also bulghur or burghul)(from Turkish bulgur , known as pligoyri, pligouri, in Greek and as burghul in Arabic) is a cereal food made from several different wheat species, but most often from durum wheat.
Key attributes
The key attributes of traditional bulgur production are that the grain is parboiled, dried (usually by spreading in the sun), and the bran removed; significantly, it is processed from germinated grain, thus altering the glycemic index and nutritional values of simple wheat. Bulgur is often confused with cracked wheat, which is made from crushed wheat grains which have not been germinated nor parboiled. Although traditionally de-branned, bulgur and cracked wheat products available in shops may or may not have had their bran removed. Thus there are whole-grain, high-fiber versions of each. Bulgur is most often found in Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean dishes mainly Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus. It has a light and nutty flavor.
Bulgur can be used in pilafs, soups, bakery goods, or as stuffing, but is best known as a main ingredient in tabbouleh salad and kibbeh. Its higher value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous. In Indian cuisine, bulgur or daliya is also used as a cereal with milk and sugar.
In Turkey, as well as pilaf, a variety of mezes and main dishes are prepared with bulgur such as cig kofte, icli kofte, kisir and ezogelin soup. In Cyprus it is used to make koupes, a variety of kibbeh.
Nutrition facts
Bulgur is more than rice and couscous. Bulgur has a glycemic index of 46.
100 grams unprepared bulgur contains approximately:
Energy: 1500 kJ (360 kcal)
Dietary fiber: 8 g
Protein: 12.5 g
Carbohydrate: 69 g whereof 0.8 g sugars
Fat: 1.75 g whereof 0.2 g saturated fat
Potassium: 410mg
See also
Einkorn wheat
Vegetarian cuisine
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Bulgur