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doi:10.1094/CFW-53-3-0134 |
VIEW ARTICLE An Analysis of Scorched Immature Wheat: Frekeh M. Bayram. University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Cereal Foods World 53(3):134-138. Firik (in Turkish), frikeh, frekeh, or freekah is an ancient and traditional whole wheat product that is produced from early-harvested wheat at the milky stage using generally immature durum wheat (Triticum durum) and sometimes immature bread wheat (T. aestivum). It is a scorched, charred, or roasted grain that is generally homemade for domestic consumption or commercially produced by small-scale manufacturers. It is usually produced by roasting (scorching) the immature spikes on flames to burn off the awns and leafy material. Then the spikes are dried in the sun, threshed, the kernels separated from hulls, and cracked. The parching or charring gives the frekeh a unique, appetizing smoked flavor. Frekeh can be classified in the same group with bulgur and pounded wheat, but the unit price of frekeh is two or three times higher that of bulgur, pounded wheat, flour, and macaroni. Frekeh is a seasonable product that is mainly produced in farms and villages in Anatolia (Turkey), Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Mesopotamia, North Africa, and the Middle East. As an immature wheat, frekeh contains a high content of fructo-oligosaccharides, which are fructose-rich polymers with important biological functions. Depending on the time of harvest, it is possible to obtain a reduced phytic acid, high fiber frekeh.
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