Food trend alert! Freekeh, the ancient grain of Middle Eastern cuisine, is enjoying a quinoa-like resurgence. It is beloved among foodies, and coveted by Palestinian farmers. Next up, I'd bet: a menu item at Chipotle or Starbucks, or something like that.
[NPR].
Traditional preparation requires burning the harvested plants' chaff. This process lends the grain its name, which comes from the Arabic word that means "to rub" (together).
You can purchase freekeh on Amazon and other places online, and in your local health food store or Middle Eastern grocery.
“The traditional roasting methods used to produce Freekeh provide it with a smoky aroma and pleasant chewy texture that make it a great addition to savory salads, spiced pilafs and hearty hot cereals,” says Bob's Red Mill.
* I've just been wanting to use that headline for pretty much all my life.
In a village outside of Jenin, in the West Bank, Palestinian farmers harvest wheat early and burn the husks to yield the smoky, nutty grain known as freekeh. Daniella Cheslow for NPR
