Bob's Red Mill Wheat Germ, 12 oz

Wheat germ is the germ of the wheat kernel, the small embryo at the heart of the grain that would sprout into a new plant, and the part separated out when wheat is milled into white flour. Bob's Red Mill mills it in its natural state with the oils intact and prints toasting directions on the package; a few minutes in a dry pan or a low oven turns the flavor warm and nutty, which is how most cooks like to use it.

Think of it as a texture and flavor ingredient rather than a main event. Swap up to half a cup of it for flour in muffins, pancakes, quick breads or coffee cake; stir it into granola, muesli or homemade bars; scatter it over a fruit pie before baking, or roll rolls and cookies in it for a speckled crust. Outside baking it makes a coarse breading for chicken or fish and a filler for meatballs and meatloaf, where it soaks up juices and firms the mix.