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Ingredient

Wheat

Cereal Grains, Pseudocereals and Pasta

The staple grain behind bread, pasta and countless flatbreads across European, Middle Eastern, Indian and North African cuisine, ground into flour for its gluten-forming proteins, which trap gas and give leavened dough its structure. Emmer and einkorn were the earliest cultivated forms; bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a later hybrid that now dominates world production. The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BC. It is grown on a larger area of land than any other food crop, and in 2024 world production of 799 million tonnes made it the second most-produced cereal after maize. Gluten, which makes up most of the protein in wheat, can trigger coeliac disease in a small part of the population.

Facts
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)
9600 BCE to 8500 BCE 1
Origin Region
The Fertile Crescent (the Levant and Mesopotamia) 1
Classification
Allergen
Cereals Containing Gluten 1
Wheat
Filter Results14 entries
Connections

Associated With

Bran, Ingredients
Bulgur, Ingredients
Farro, Ingredients
Flour, Ingredients
Freekeh, Ingredients
Semolina, Ingredients
Spelt, Ingredients
Udon, Ingredients

Carries Allergen

Expresses Tradition

Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee

Used By

Source Australian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
British Cuisine, Cuisines

Wheat bread and pastry are foundational to British baking.

Source British Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Couscous, Dishes
Source Knowledge, Know How and Practices Pertaining to the Production and Consumption of Couscous (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, RL 01602)
Croissant, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Dal bati, Dishes
Source Dal bati (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Harees, Dishes
Source Harees (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Japanese milk bread (Wikipedia)
Jianbing, Dishes
Source Jianbing - Wikipedia
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Peking Duck, Dishes

The thin pancakes the duck is wrapped in are made from wheat flour.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Pelmeni, Dishes
Source The Paradox of Pelmeni (The Moscow Times)Pavel and Olga Syutkin
Pitepalt, Dishes
Source Pitepalt (Wikipedia)
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Puri, Dishes
Source Puri (food) - Wikipedia
Ramen, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)Maxim Syrnikov
Source Slovak Cuisine (Wikipedia)

Wheat flour is the traditional base grain for sourdough bread.

Tarhonya, Dishes
Source Wikipedia, Tarhonya
Vispipuuro, Dishes
Source Vispipuuro (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidsontier 1
Sources
1. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014
  • entry: Wheat
    wheat A grass of the genus Triticum, wheat is the second oldest (after BARLEY) of cultivated cereals.
  • The Oxford Companion to Food, description lead (allergen)
    ground into flour for its gluten-forming proteins, which trap gas and give leavened dough
  • Used By: Peking Duck
  • Used By: Pizza Margherita
  • Used By: Ramen
  • Used By: Croissant
Wikidata: Wheat
Wikidata Q15645384, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Wheat (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia, Wheat, Lead section, first cultivation
    The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BC.
  • Wikipedia, Wheat, Lead section, area grown
    Wheat is grown on a larger area of land than any other food crop (219.5 million hectares or 542 million acres in 2024).
  • Wikipedia, Wheat, Lead section, production
    In 2024, world wheat production was 799 million tonnes (881 million short tons), making it the second most-produced cereal after maize
  • Wikipedia, Wheat, Lead section, gluten
    In a small part of the general population, gluten, which comprises most of the protein in wheat, can trigger coeliac disease
View the Source
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004Expresses Tradition: Bread Baking
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009
  • Used By: Italian Cuisine, entry: Wheat
  • Used By: French Cuisine, entry: Wheat
  • Used By: Middle Eastern Cuisine, entry: Wheat
Knowledge, Know How and Practices Pertaining to the Production and Consumption of Couscous (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, RL 01602)
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2020Used By: CouscousView the Source
Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)
Maxim Syrnikov, Russia Beyond, 2013Used By: Russian CuisineView the Source
The Paradox of Pelmeni (The Moscow Times)
Pavel and Olga Syutkin, The Moscow Times, 2022Used By: PelmeniView the Source
British Cuisine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: British CuisineView the Source
Harees (Wikipedia)
Used By: Harees, Infobox main_ingredient field: Wheat, butter, and meat (usually mutton but sometimes chicken)View the Source
Vispipuuro (Wikipedia)
Used By: Vispipuuro, Infobox main_ingredient field: Wheat semolina, berries (usually lingonberries)View the Source
Pitepalt (Wikipedia)
Used By: Pitepalt, Infobox main_ingredient field: Potatoes, wheat or barley flour, saltView the Source
Jianbing - Wikipedia
Used By: Jianbing, infobox main_ingredient field
Quote, Used By: Jianbing, infobox main_ingredient field
Wheat
View the Source
Japanese milk bread (Wikipedia)
Used By: Japanese Milk Bread, infobox main_ingredient field
Quote, Used By: Japanese Milk Bread, infobox main_ingredient field
Wheat, milk
View the Source
Puri (food) - Wikipedia
Used By: Puri, lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Puri, lead paragraph
Puri (also poori, IPA: [puːɾiː]) is a type of deep-fried flatbread, with an unleavened wheat dough.
View the Source
Wikipedia, Tarhonya
Used By: Tarhonya, lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Tarhonya, lead paragraph
Tarhonya (Hungarian: [ˈtɒrhoɲɒ]) or tarhoňa (Slovak: [ˈtarɦɔɲa]) is a dried egg- and wheat-based ingredient found in Hungarian and Slovak cuisine.
View the Source
Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Galician Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Quote, Used By: Galician Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Agricultural products such as potatoes, maize, and wheat are also staples in the Galician diet, along with dairy and meat products from cattle, sheep, and pigs; Galicia's grasses are green year-round and are excellent for grazing.
View the Source
Dal bati (Wikipedia)
Used By: Dal bati, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Dal bati, Lead section
an Indian dish of dal (lentils) and bati (hard wheat rolls)
View the Source
Slovak Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Slovak Cuisine, Lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Slovak Cuisine, Lead paragraph
These included wheat, potatoes, milk and milk products, pork, sauerkraut and onion.
View the Source
Australian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Australian Cuisine, Lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Australian Cuisine, Lead paragraph
Australia became a collection of British colonies from 1788 to 1900, during which time culinary tastes were strongly influenced by British and Irish migrants, with agricultural products such as beef cattle, sheep, and wheat becoming staples in the local diet.
View the Source
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