Wheat

Wheat is one of the oldest and most important foods in the world. It is a type of grass that makes small seeds called grains. Wheat grains are ground up to make flour. Flour is used to bake bread, cookies, cakes, and pasta. Fields of ripe wheat turn a pretty golden color.

Growing Wheat

Wheat plants grow tall and thin, like other grasses. At the top of each stem is a cluster of seeds called a head. Farmers use big machines called combines to harvest wheat. The machine cuts the plants and takes out the grains. Wheat can grow in many different climates around the world.

An old drawing of a wheat plant with its golden grains.
An old drawing of a wheat plant with its golden grains. (Brandt, Wilhelm; Gürke, M.; Köhler, F. E.; Pabst, G.; Schellenberg, G.; Vogtherr, Max. / Wikimedia Commons)

From Grain to Bread

After wheat is picked, the grains are cleaned and sent to a mill. At the mill, big stones or metal rollers crush the grains into flour. Bakers mix flour with water, yeast, and salt to make dough. The dough is baked in an oven to make fresh bread. Wheat feeds billions of people every day.

Fun Facts

  • Wheat has been grown by people for more than 10,000 years.
  • It takes about 16,000 grains of wheat to make one pound of flour.
  • China grows more wheat than any other country in the world.

Did You Know?

There is a layer in wheat grains called the bran. Whole wheat bread keeps the bran, which makes it healthier than white bread.