Cereals Grains Pulses & Rice

Cereals, grains and pulses are undoubtedly the staple ingredients central to all Galilean cooking today, as they were in the days of the Ottoman Empire. Galilean kitchens are only complete when plastic bottles filled to the brim with burghul, rice, lentils and freekeh, otherwise known as immature green wheat, fill up the shelves, cupboards and benches.

Burghul, pronounced bulgul in Arabic, is simply parboiled kernels of hulled whole wheat grain, with a distinct nutty flavour. The wheat can be either ground or ‘cracked’, and coarse or fine, depending on each dish’s requirements. High in fibre and protein and rich in vitamins and essential minerals, burghul is used in many of the regions’ traditional dishes. Coarse burghul is used for stuffing vegetables and in stews, and replaces rice as the staple. Finer burghul is used to make tabbouleh or is used as a filler in meat dishes.