Wheat berry

{{Short description|Whole wheat kernel without the husk}} thumb|right|Uncooked wheat berries

A '''wheat berry''', or '''wheatberry''', is a whole wheat kernel, composed of the bran, germ, and endosperm, without the husk.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Guide to Growing and Using Wheatgrass: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rSanWzJ91r8C&pg=PA132|year=2010|publisher=Atlantic|isbn=9781601383396|page=132}}</ref> Botanically, it is a type of fruit called a caryopsis.<ref name="Mauseth2014">{{cite book|author=James D. Mauseth|author-link=James D. Mauseth|title=Botany|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BGEs95p5EsC&pg=PA223|year=2014|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers|isbn=978-1-4496-4884-8|page=223|quote=Perhaps the simplest of fruits are those of grasses (all cereals such as corn and wheat)...These fruits are caryopses.}}</ref> Wheat berries are eaten as a grain, have a tan to reddish-brown color, and can vary in gluten and protein content from 6–9% ("soft") to 10–14% ("hard"). They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a chewy texture. If wheat berries are milled, whole-wheat flour is produced. Wheat berries are similar to barley, rye, and kamut.

Wheat berries are the primary ingredient in an Eastern European Christmas porridge called ''kutia''. In France, cooked durum wheat berries are commonly{{reference needed|date=April 2022}} eaten as a side dish instead of rice or corn. This side dish is often called ''ebly'', from the name of the first brand of prepared wheat berries. In Romania and other Eastern European countries, the wheat berries (arpacas) are used in a special sweet dish called koliva for Christian Orthodox ritual.

<gallery class="center" caption="" widths="220px" heights="150px"> Puffed wheat berries.png|Puffed wheat berries File:Wheatberries_sauteed_with_spring_onion.jpg|Wheat berries cooking - soaked then sauteed with spring onion File:Wheatberry salad.jpg|A salad prepared with wheat berries </gallery>

==See also== {{portal|Food}} *Cuccìa, a Sicilian wheat berry dish *Bulgur, another whole wheat preparation *Frumenty, a dish made with boiled wheat berries *Graham flour *Borș, a fermented drink made from sprouted grain *Farro

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Wheat Category:Cereals