To make burghul, wheat grains are hulled, partly cooked by steaming, dried and cracked or crushed into a fine or coarse grade. This method of preparing wheat could date back to 4,000BC. The partial cooking would have softened the grain making it easier to crack or crush using a primitive grindstone.

Burghul wheat is an important ingredient in modern Lebanon, Syria and Armenia. It is also used in Cypriot, Greek and Turkish cooking. It is the basis of tabouli.

Like other wheat products made with minimal processing, bulghur retains higher levels of dietary fibre and nutrients. Some of the nutrients may however be biologically unavailable due to the presence of phytic acid.

If bulghur is to be used in an uncooked dish (such as a salad) it should be softened by covering with water, draining and being left in the bowl for around 20 minutes to absorb the surface water.