Kinds of Bulgur

• The word bulgur comes from Turkey, which may be where wheat was first cultivated. Specialty shops that sell Middle Eastern food have different grades of bulgur available depending on how the wheat was ground. A medium-grind is perfect for tabbouleh -- a traditional dish that combines bulgur with fresh parsley, mint and lemon juice -- and other cold salad-type dishes where you want a medium-to-light texture. A coarser grind bulgur is suitable for soups and hearty pilafs, resulting in a firmer texture more like couscous or barley.

Colors of Bulgur

• Wheat grown in the United States is categorized into six different classes depending on a combination of three variables: the time of year it was grown, the hardness or softness and the color. Most bulgur is made from hard durum wheat, yellow in color, but any wheat can be processed into bulgur. These variances lend nuances to flavor and texture. Specialty markets are known to carry bulgur of different colors such as brown bulgur made from red wheat, yielding a grain with a slightly heavier texture and bitter taste.

Buying Bulgur Wheat

• There may or may not be a difference between the texture of products sold as "cracked wheat" and "bulgur wheat" at your grocery store. In some cases, cracked wheat is raw and not pre-cooked, meaning you will need to cook it longer and in more water than bulgur. The result will be a chewier texture. In other cases, cracked wheat is the same thing as bulgur, especially if it’s labeled as cracked bulgur wheat, even though its appearance and color may vary. You can easily find boxes of tabbouleh mix, giving you the bulgur wheat with an optional spice packet you can save for later. The Food and Drug Administration considers all types of bulgur to be a whole grain food.

Cooking Bulgur

• The best thing about bulgur is how easy it is to cook. Unlike rice, it doesn’t become soggy if you accidentally overcook it or add a bit too much water. The ratio for cooking bulgur is roughly 1 cup cracked wheat to 1 3/4 cups of water. After bringing it to a boil, it’s ready in five minutes; bulgur can also be soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes without cooking, though its texture will be a bit chewier. Re-heating bulgur in the microwave won’t change or damage its texture, and you can store any leftover grain in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to one week.