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) Origin RegionThe Fertile Crescent (the Levant and Mesopotamia) 1 Classification
AllergenCereals Containing Gluten 1 Connections
Associated With
Carries Allergen
Expresses Tradition
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Used By
Source Australian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Wheat bread and pastry are foundational to British baking.
Source British Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Source Knowledge, Know How and Practices Pertaining to the Production and Consumption of Couscous (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, RL 01602)
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source Dal bati (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Japanese milk bread (Wikipedia)
Source Jianbing - Wikipedia
Source Larousse Gastronomique
The thin pancakes the duck is wrapped in are made from wheat flour.
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source The Paradox of Pelmeni (The Moscow Times)Pavel and Olga Syutkin
Source Pitepalt (Wikipedia)
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
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.
Source Wikipedia, Tarhonya
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, 2014entry: 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)
WikipediaWikipedia, 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)
Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)
The Paradox of Pelmeni (The Moscow Times)
Pavel and Olga Syutkin, The Moscow Times, 2022Used By: PelmeniView the Source British Cuisine (Wikipedia)
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 fieldQuote, Used By: Jianbing, infobox main_ingredient field
Wheat
Japanese milk bread (Wikipedia)
Used By: Japanese Milk Bread, infobox main_ingredient fieldQuote, Used By: Japanese Milk Bread, infobox main_ingredient field
Wheat, milk
Puri (food) - Wikipedia
Used By: Puri, lead paragraphQuote, Used By: Puri, lead paragraph
Puri (also poori, IPA: [puːɾiː]) is a type of deep-fried flatbread, with an unleavened wheat dough.
Wikipedia, Tarhonya
Used By: Tarhonya, lead paragraphQuote, 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.
Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Galician Cuisine, Wikipedia article textQuote, 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.
Dal bati (Wikipedia)
Used By: Dal bati, Lead sectionQuote, Used By: Dal bati, Lead section
an Indian dish of dal (lentils) and bati (hard wheat rolls)
Slovak Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Slovak Cuisine, Lead paragraphQuote, Used By: Slovak Cuisine, Lead paragraph
These included wheat, potatoes, milk and milk products, pork, sauerkraut and onion.
Australian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Australian Cuisine, Lead paragraphQuote, 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.
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