# Can wheat grains be cooked and eaten like rice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840 "2015-05-12T05:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/1 "2015-05-12T05:32:59Z")
There is a packaged product called Farroto, it is farro wheat whole grains and is not bad. Makes something like a rice risotto. Can regular whole wheat grains be cooked and eaten this way? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/2 "2015-05-12T05:45:59Z")
Yes. They take longer to cook than rice and the result has a bit more of a chewy texture, but it’s very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/3 "2015-05-12T05:50:27Z")
Whole cooked wheat berries turn out kind of like a nuttier brown rice. You can also get cracked wheat or bulgar which cooks faster since it’s broken. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/4 "2015-05-12T12:20:10Z")
When I used to brew my own beer, starting with cracked grains, I would often cook them up afterwords and use them as rice in dishes, that is if the grains were not too dark which has a off/ strong flavor for this. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/5 "2015-05-12T12:34:26Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > You can also get cracked wheat or bulgar which cooks faster since it’s broken. Bulgur mostly cooks faster because it’s almost inevitably already parboiled. It makes a [nice salad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh). I’ve had it made with bulgur, cous-cous and whole wheat (that last seems to be a French thing). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/6 "2015-05-12T16:30:45Z")
Wheat berries are great, cooked overnight in a Crock Pot. You can also sprout them. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/7 "2015-05-12T16:34:55Z")
[Frumenty.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frumenty) Tasty, filling, and not that expensive. > [@](#): > > The typical method of preparation was to parboil whole grains of wheat in water, then strain off and boil in milk, sweeten the boiled product with sugar, and flavour with cinnamon and other spices. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/8 "2015-05-14T00:16:46Z")
You never heard of Malt-O-Meal? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/9 "2015-05-14T00:55:21Z")
Malt-O-Meal is milled wheat; the OP was asking about whole grains. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/10 "2015-05-14T01:33:58Z")
Check it out at Panini in Southern California. [http://mypaninicafe.com/](http://mypaninicafe.com/) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-wheat-grains-be-cooked-and-eaten-like-rice/719840/11 "2015-05-14T03:29:11Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Malt-O-Meal is milled wheat; the OP was asking about whole grains. Yup, I know all about processed cereals I was asking about cooking whole grains of wheat. Thanks guys! I really liked that Farroto product,it is basically whole grains of farro wheat along with dried mushrooms and salt and spices in a pouch you simmer for 15 minutes in about two cups of water.I liked the resulting food a lot better than rice, it had a nice nutty flavor and was chewy. I’m going to try making my own with wheat berries.