Freekeh production is documented in the Levant for at least 2,000 years. The production method — harvesting wheat while green, then controlled burning of the chaff while protecting the grain — was traditionally associated with Palestinian and Syrian agricultural communities. The word freekeh derives from the Arabic for "rubbed" — referring to the friction used to remove the charred chaff from the grain.
Freekeh — green durum wheat harvested while still young and then roasted over fire — is one of the most distinctive grains in Palestinian and Levantine cooking. The roasting produces a smoky, slightly grassy, complex grain with a chewy texture unique among wheat preparations. It is used as a pilaf base with chicken (djaj bil freekeh), in soups, and as a side grain. Its flavour is impossible to replicate with any other grain.
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