Wheat Berry

There are generally two kinds of wheat berries available at natural foods stores: hard (high-protein), which are reddish brown, and soft (low-protein), which are blond. We prefer the chewiness of the hard variety for this recipe. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Wheat berries, minimally processed grains of whole wheat, are sometimes marketed as hard wheat.

(Wheat Berry Salad with Tomatoes, Tuna, and Capers) Kamut, a strain of wheat said to date back to ancient Egypt and now widely available in health-food stores, is a good substitute for Sicilian durum wheat. It is very similar in taste and texture when cooked. Spelt, though a bit chewier, is also acceptable. It too is available in health-food stores.

In place of the pasta commonly found in Italian bean soups we've used wheat berries — minimally processed whole grains — for the following recipe.