Products made from Wheat

 

No matter where you live in the world, wheat will probably be close by since it is the most consumed grain in the world. This isn’t surprising since it can be grown in many climates and used in a variety of highly palatable and nutritious ways. Here are some examples of how different regions around the world use wheat in their cuisines:

* United States & Canada: bread, cereals, pasta, crackers, cookies, pretzels and pies * Europe: bread, cereals, pastries, pasta * Mexico & Central America: flour tortillas, breads and empanadas * Australia: bread, cereals, pasta * Asia: noodles and breads

Culinary Uses of Wheat

There are six different classes of wheat: Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, Hard White, Soft White and Durum. Each of these classes varies in its protein and gluten content. The six wheat classes grown in the United States provide essential ingredients for hundreds of unique wheat food products — and U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is fully committed to helping its customers get the best performance and value from their purchases. As a testament to that responsibility, USW provides critical information about U.S. wheat crop and market conditions to wheat producers, buyers, and end-users throughout the year. Hard wheat are higher in protein and used in breads and quick breads. Soft, lower protein wheat are used in cakes, pastries, cookies, crackers, flatbreads and Asian-style noodles. Hard white wheat is also used for Asian-style noodles as well as breads. Durum wheat is used in pasta and egg noodles. Most wheat is typically milled into flour and is then used to make a wide range of foods including breads, muffins, noodles, pasta, biscuits, cakes, cookies, pastries, cereal bars, sweet and savory snack foods, and crackers. Depending on the region of the world, wheat may be eaten as bread that is flat, leavened or unleavened, or processed into pasta or couscous.

A World of Wheat Products

Wheat can also be used in other forms to make products like those described below:

Flaked, puffed and extruded wheat — All three forms are commonly used to manufacture breakfast cereals and cereal snack bars.

Wheat bran — Added to biscuits, cakes, muffins and breads to increase the dietary fiber content. Wheat bran is also used as an ingredient in some breakfast cereals.

Wheat germ — Can be added to breads, pastries, pancakes and biscuits or sprinkled onto yogurt, breakfast cereal or fruit dishes to increase the B-Vitamin, mineral, protein and fiber content.

Semolina — The coarsely ground endosperm of the wheat kernel, mainly used for making pasta. The preferred class of wheat for pasta is durum. It can also be cooked in milk to make semolina pudding or fried golden brown and then mixed with sugar to make halva, as eaten in the Middle East. In Greece, semolina is used in baked cakes.

Couscous — Used widely in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt), couscous is made from semolina grains which are sprinkled with slightly salted water and rubbed to make tiny pellets which are steamed and then dried. It can be a salad base, added to soups, or served as a side dish for meats and vegetables. It can also be sweetened, spiced and mixed with dried fruits for dessert.

Bulgur — Is made by parboiling wheat, drying it and then coarsely grinding it. It can be steamed or boiled and used in a wide range of dishes, such as tabouli, kofta or kibbeh.

Wheat flakes — They are used as breakfast cereals. They are packed with dietary fiber and most varieties are fortified with numerous essential vitamins and minerals.

Maida — It is also known as refined flour. The bran and germ are separated in making white flour. Maida bakes uniformly into a loaf of greater volume and it is more bland in taste and more easily digested. The more the refinement, the lesser the nutritional quality.

To get all the necessary information and any kind of help related to wheat, visit us at: https://www.uswheat.org/