Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Freekeh

Freekeh

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers freekeh's optimal flavour pairings.

Freekeh is defined by the unmistakable flavours of wheat and toast, but beneath its sweetness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as smoke, caramel, and hay, that give it remarkable depth. The key to finding the perfect pairing for freekeh is understanding how these notes harmonise.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our analysis reveals, for example, how feta's saline tones ground freekeh, and how labneh's lactic notes create a surprising synergy with its grainy sweetness.

Flavour Profile Of Freekeh Across 150 Dimensions Of Flavour

The flavour notes evoked by freekeh

Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of freekeh

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like maillard, vegetal, and woody, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

The Secret Language of Flavour


To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.


Our analysis shows that the flavour of wheat is strongly associated with the flavour of lactic acid. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a lactic acid flavour, such as labneh, when pairing with the wheaty aroma accents of freekeh.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing freekeh with labneh.

  • Cauliflower, avocado, pistachio, pomegranate and freekeh salad recipe
    The Telegraph

    Crunchy cauliflower, Romanesco or calabrese would be delicious raw in this fresh salad. Or you could drizzle over extra-virgin olive oil and roast at 230C/210C fan/gas mark 8 for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly charred at the edges. Use more freekeh for a more substantial salad. Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 15-45 minutes Six to eight Reci...
  • Pan-roasted radishes with labneh, freekeh and radish leaves
    The Guardian

    Radish leaves are a common ingredient in various world cuisines, and they are used in soups, braised, curried or simply added to salads. In this recipe, adapted from my new book, they are simply wilted in the residual heat of cooked freekeh. Freekeh is a type of cracked wheat that is picked green and then set alight to burn off the husk a process t...

    • Harmonious Flavours Of Freekeh


    Just as our analysis revealed that wheat and milky flavours often complement each other, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in freekeh. E.g. the toasted notes of freekeh are often used with basil-like and balsam flavours.

    The accents linked to the various aroma accents of freekeh can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

    Flavour Profile Of Freekeh And Its Complementary Flavour Notes

    The flavour notes evoked by freekeh

    Complementary flavours of freekeh

    Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of freekeh

    Matching Flavour Profiles


    The flavour profile of feta offers many of the accents complementary to freekeh, including saline and lactic accents. Because the flavour profile of feta has many of the of the features that are complementary to freekeh, they are likely to pair very well together.

    Prominent Flavour Notes Of Feta Are Represented By Longer Bars

    The flavour notes evoked by feta

    Hover over the bars in chart above to identify the flavour notes of feta

    The chart above shows the unique profile of feta across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with freekeh.


    Recipes That Pair Freekeh With Feta


  • Chicken Freekeh Skillet with Warm Feta-Lemon Relish
    Food & Wine

    March is a tricky time of year for me, food-wise. By this point, I’m yearning for tender, mild spring vegetables and ready to say bye-for-now to hearty root veggies and brassicas, but the farmers markets are still pretty sparse. So as I wait for the season to fully turn over, I look for ways to bridge the gap between rib-sticking winter fare (it’s...
  • T-bone steak with roasted pumpkin, chestnuts, freekeh, feta and parsley
    Great British Chefs

    Georgina Fuggle's glorious steak salad recipe showcases the superb T-bone cut to its finest, brushing the meat in lightly spiced chilli oil and serving it alongside caramelised autumn vegetables. T-bone steaks are a combination of both sirloin and fillet – when buying look out for strong marbling and a decent thickness.

    • Linked Flavour Notes


    Looking at the notes that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of freekeh, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

    The Flavour Notes That Harmonise With Freekeh And The Ingredients That Share Some Of These Notes

    Freekeh's Strongest Flavours

    Complementary Flavours


    Ingredients with Complementary Flavours





    Flavour groups:


    Nectarous

    Acidic

    Herbal

    Spice

    Vegetal

    Maillard

    Earthy

    Woody

    Carnal

    The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of freekeh, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma accents complementary to freekeh.


    What To Drink With Freekeh


    The lactic notes in yoghurt drink make it a perfect pairing with freekeh. Likewise, the lactic flavours in dairy create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of freekeh below.




    The content on our analysis blog is semi-automated. All of the words were manually written by a human, but the content is updated dynamically based on the data.