freekeh (also fereek) roasted green wheat, a speciality of certain Arab countries, notably Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, is exquisitely good. The green wheat stalks are harvested and gathered in bunches, then roasted in the fields over an open wood or charcoal fire. When cool, the ears are shucked and the grain is either kept whole or cracked. Of the two main kinds, that which is coarsely cracked and brownish-green in colour has a markedly smoky taste. The other, brown in colour, with the grains whole, is blander.
