Bulgur

Coarse bulgur

Bulgur ^{[1] [a]} or borghol ^{[2] [b]} 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, cooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	350 kJ (84 kcal)
Carbohydrates	18.58 g
Sugars	0.10 g
Dietary fiber	4.5 g
Fat	0.24 g
Protein	3.08 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. 0% 0.0 μg Vitamin A 1 IU Thiamine (B1) 5% 0.057 mg Riboflavin (B2) 2% 0.028 mg Niacin (B3) 6% 1.000 mg Vitamin B6 5% 0.083 mg Folate (B9) 5% 18 μg Vitamin C 0% 0.0 mg Vitamin D 0% 0 μg Vitamin E 0% 0.01 mg Vitamin K 0% 0.5 μg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 1% 10 mg Iron 5% 0.96 mg Magnesium 8% 32 mg Phosphorus 3% 40 mg Potassium 2% 68 mg Sodium 0% 5 mg Zinc 5% 0.57 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	78 g
USDA Nutritional Database
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [4] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [5]

Bulgur is produced by parboiling raw wheat, which is then de-hulled, dried, and cracked. ^[6] Bulgur is a common ingredient in cuisines of many countries of the West Asian cuisine and Mediterranean Basin, ^{[7] [ self-published source? ] [8] [9]} such as Syria. ^[10] It has a light, nutty flavor. ^[11]

Bulgur is recognized as a whole grain by the United States Department of Agriculture. ^[12]

Composition and nutrition

Cooked bulgur is 78% water, 19% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving supplies 350 kilojoules (84 kilocalories) 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. ^[13]

Etymology

The word bulgur is the Turkish pronunciation of the Arabic burghul (برغل), which is ultimately borrowed from the Farsi barghul. ^{[14] [15]}

History

Assyrian woman pounding bulgur, Tell Tamer, 1939

Bulgur originated in the ancient middle east, food historian Gil Marks dates it to circa 4000BC. ^[15] It is one of the first processed foods ever created. ^[15]

Culinary uses

Coarse bulgur

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. In Indian and Pakistani cuisine, bulgur is often used as a cereal to make a porridge with milk and sugar, or a savory porridge with vegetables and spices. 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.^{[ citation needed ]} Finely ground bulgur is used for making eetch, a salad similar to tabbouleh. ^[24]

In Greece, it is known as πλιγούρι (pligouri) and in Cyprus as πουρκούρι (pourkouri), where it is used to make κούπες (koupes, known as 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 jarish (Arabic : 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. ^[3]

See also

• Einkorn wheat
• Freekeh
• Laapsi
• Semolina
• Wheat berry

Notes

1. • English: /ˈbʌlɡər,ˈbʊl-/ BUL-gər, BUUL- ^ⓘ
   • Armenian: բլղուր, romanized: blghur, arabized: بلغور, pronounced [bəlˈʁuɾ] ^ⓘ
   • Greek: πουργούρι / πλιγούρι, romanized: pourgoúri / pligoúri, cyrillized: пургури / плигури, arabized: بورغورى / بليغورى, pronounced [puɾˈɣuɾi/pliˈɣuɾi]
   • Turkish: bulgur, arabized: بلغور, hellenized: π̇ουγο̇ύρ, pronounced [buɫˈɡʊɾ]
   • Azerbaijani: булгур, romanized: bulqur, arabized: بلغور, pronounced [buɫˈɡuɾ]
   • Kurdish: بولخور / ساڤار, romanized: bulxur / savar, cyrillized: бӧлхӧр / савар, armenized: բւղխւր / սավար, pronounced [bʊlˈxʊɾ/saːˈvaːɾ]
   • Persian: بلغور, romanized: bolghur, cyrillized: булғур, hebraized: בלגור, pronounced [bʊlˈɢuːɾ]
   • Punjabi: ਬੁਲਗੁਰ, romanized: bulgur, arabized:بلغور, pronounced [bʊlgúːɾ]
2. Egyptian Arabic: برغل, romanized: borġol, cyrillized: боргьол, pronounced [boɾˈɣoɫ]

References

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2. "Burghul | Define Burghul at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
3. Bayram, Mustafa; Öner, Mehmet D. (March 2007). "Bulgur milling using roller, double disc and vertical disc mills" . Journal of Food Engineering. 79 (1): 181–187. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2006.01.042 . Retrieved 29 January 2026.
4. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
5. "TABLE 4-7 Comparison of Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in This Report to Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in the 2005 DRI Report". p. 120. In: Stallings, Virginia A.; Harrison, Meghan; Oria, Maria, eds. (2019). "Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. pp. 101–124. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN   978-0-309-48834-1. PMID   30844154. NCBI   NBK545428.
6. Celine Steen; Tamasin Noyes (15 November 2015). The Great Vegan Grains Book: Celebrate Whole Grains with More than 100 Delicious Plant-Based Recipes * Includes Soy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes!. Fair Winds Press. p. 11. ISBN   978-1-62788-826-4. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
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10. "Syria's Detainee Files". PBS .
11. Victoria Wise (3 December 2004). The Pressure Cooker Gourmet: 225 Recipes for Great-Tasting, Long-Simmered Flavors in Just Minutes. Harvard Common Press. p. 230. ISBN   978-1-55832-201-1. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
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13. Tacer Caba, Zeynep; Boyacioglu, M. Hikmet; Boyacioglu, Dilek (2012). "Bioactive healthy components of bulgur". International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 63 (2): 250–256. doi:10.3109/09637486.2011.639748. ISSN   0963-7486. PMID   22136100.
14. "bulgur". Nişanyan Sözlük (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 January 2026.
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16. Yonan, Joe (15 July 2014). "Weeknight Vegetarian: Don't cook these grains. Soak them". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
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18. "Breakfast Bulgur Porridge". Martha Stewart. 2011-01-03. Archived from the original on 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
19. Shulman, Martha Rose. "Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread With Bulgur Recipe". NYT Cooking. Archived from the original on 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
20. Salloum, Habeeb (2012-02-28). The Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4629-0524-9. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
21. "Recipe: Bulgur pudding with fruit, nuts and honey". Los Angeles Times. 11 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
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23. Diehl, Daniel; Donnelly, Mark P. (2011-04-13). Medieval Celebrations: Your Guide to Planning and Hosting Spectacular Feasts, Parties, Weddings, and Renaissance Fairs. Stackpole Books. ISBN   978-0-8117-4430-0. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
24. "In Lebanon, women are carving their way into the culinary scene". Middle East Eye. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
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