bulgar: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low/MediumFormal/Technical in culinary contexts; informal in everyday cooking contexts.
Quick answer
What does “bulgar” mean?
A Middle Eastern cereal food made from whole grains, especially wheat, that have been parboiled, dried, and cracked.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A Middle Eastern cereal food made from whole grains, especially wheat, that have been parboiled, dried, and cracked.
Can refer to the specific variety of wheat used or the finished product (also known as bulgur wheat). It's distinct from cracked wheat as it is pre-cooked.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both BE and AE use 'bulgur' as the dominant spelling. 'Bulgar' is an accepted but less frequent variant. The referent is identical.
Connotations
No connotative differences. Associated with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and health-conscious cuisine in both regions.
Frequency
Low frequency word in general. Likely more common in AE due to greater prevalence of specific ethnic food products in mainstream grocery stores.
Grammar
How to Use “bulgar” in a Sentence
[Noun] made with bulgarsubstitute [Noun] for bulgarsoak [Noun] in waterVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bulgar” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The bulgar wheat salad was a hit at the picnic.
American English
- She prepared a bulgur pilaf for the potluck.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in food import/export, culinary supply, or retail grocery contexts.
Academic
Used in agricultural science, nutrition, and culinary arts papers discussing grains.
Everyday
Used in cooking instructions, recipes, and discussions about food, especially vegetarian/healthy diets.
Technical
Used in food science to specify the parboiling and cracking process of durum wheat.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bulgar”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bulgar”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bulgar”
- Misspelling as 'bulger' or 'bulghur'. Using as a countable noun (e.g., 'three bulgars'). Confusing it with couscous or quinoa.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Cracked wheat is simply milled raw wheat. Bulgar is made from wheat that has been parboiled (or steamed), dried, and then cracked. This pre-cooking gives it a shorter preparation time and a nuttier flavour.
It is pronounced /ˈbʌl.ɡə/ in British English and /ˈbʊl.ɡɚ/ or /ˈbʌl.ɡɚ/ in American English. The 'u' is like in 'bull' or 'bulk', and the 'g' is hard.
No. Bulgar is made from wheat, which contains gluten. It is not suitable for a gluten-free diet. Alternatives include quinoa, buckwheat, or millet.
'Bulgur' is the most common and recommended spelling in modern English dictionaries, though 'bulgar' is an accepted variant. Using 'bulgur' avoids confusion with the demonym for a person from Bulgaria.
A Middle Eastern cereal food made from whole grains, especially wheat, that have been parboiled, dried, and cracked.
Bulgar is usually formal/technical in culinary contexts; informal in everyday cooking contexts. in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: BULGar is a BULKy, whole-GRAin food.
Conceptual Metaphor
FOOD IS FOUNDATION (e.g., 'a bulgar base for the salad').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary defining characteristic of bulgar?