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Grains

Contributed by: Jennifer Wickes

The proper term, in reference to grains, is cereal grains. The word "cereal" comes from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Cereal includes any plant from the grass family that produces an edible seed.

Cereals are inexpensive, have an available source of protein and the highest concentration of carbohydrates compared with any other food.

Varieties

Barley

Barley dates back to the Stone Ages. It is used in recipes such as bread, cereal, and soups. Most barley in the western world is now used for two reasons, for making beer and whiskey, and for animal fodder.

Bulgur Wheat

Originating from the Middle East, this is wheat kernels which have been steamed, dried and crushed.

Couscous

A staple in North Africa. Couscous is derived from semolina. Can be cooked and added to milk to make a porridge, fruits and honey can be added to make a dessert or you can mix a dressing into it and eat it like a salad.

Kasha

This is roasted buckwheat grains.

Millet

Millet is a staple grain for over a 1/3 of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. The United States uses millet almost exclusively for fodder and birdseed. Millet is rich in protein with a bland flavor, so it takes well to be cooked with other foods and spices. You prepare millet like rice, in boiling water, to make into a hot cereal or some sort of pilaf. Ground millet is used in puddings, breads and cakes. You can find millet in natural food stores, as well as Asian markets.

Oats

In the 1700s, England would feed oats to their horses, yet the Scottish used to eat every day!

Polenta / Cornmeal

Dried corn kernels that have been ground to a powder.

Quinoa

A staple to the Incas. Contains the most protein than any other grain. It also contains eight essential amino acids. Quinoa is also high in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates. You need to cook Quinoa like rice, and it has been compared in flavor to couscous. Can be found in natural food stores.

Rice

Rice has been cultivated throughout Asia since at least 8000 BC. There are also over 7000 varieties. Rice contains iron, calcium and B- complex vitamins.

Risotto

An Italian rice which is cooked as rice and can be served with a variety of meats and vegetables. Italian Arborio rice is usually used in the preparation of risotto.

Rye

Rye contains less gluten that any other flour, therefore, all rye breads tend to be dense. There are a variety of different ryes, all of which are found at Natural Food Stores: medium, light, dark and pumpernickel.

Sorghum

The third largest grain in the entire world, the US only use it as fodder. The only thing the US use sorghum for when speaking of human consumption, sorghum molasses, which is used to sweeten baked goods.

Spelt

A cereal grain native to southern Europe, where it has been used for thousands of years. It has a nutty flavor, and can be used in lieu of wheat flour in recipes if a person is gluten intolerant. This grain can also be found in Natural Food Stores.

Teff

A cereal grain native to Ethiopia, but is currently being harvested in Idaho. This grain has a nutty flavor, is high in protein, carbohydrates, calcium and iron. It can be found in Natural Food Stores.

Triticale

Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It has more protein and less gluten than wheat. It comes in berries, flakes and flour. You can find this in Natural Food Stores. Triticale is usually used to make casseroles, hot cereals and pilafs. Due to the low gluten content, breads made from this grain make loaves to be very heavy, therefore using ½ wheat flour helps add some air.

Wheat

Wheat has been cultivated for over 6000 years. It is the world's largest cereal crop with more than 30,000 varieties.

Wild Rice

Wild rice is not really rice at all. It's a long grain marsh grass cultivated throughout the United States by originated near the Great Lakes region. Wild rice is also known as Indian rice.

How To Store

All grains should be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Spices

Basil, cardamom, cayenne, chervil, chili powder, chives, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, fennel, ginger, marjoram, paprika, parsley, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, turmeric.

Nutritional Values

High in carbohydrates and fiber, low in protein.

Folklore / Alternative Healing

Pearl barley used to be combined with water and lemon and fed to invalids to help restore their strength.

Recipes

Barley Bread

24 Servings

• 4 1/2-teaspoons dry yeast
• 2-cups warm water
• 2-tablespoons honey
• 2-cups barley flour
• 2-cups whole-wheat flour
• 2-cups white unbleached flour
• 2-tablespoons olive oil
• 2-teaspoons salt

Jennifer Wickes is the editor at "Cookbook Reviews" and "Cooking With The Seasons", which has been voted to be one of the Top 100 Culinary Sites on the Internet! For more information about Jennifer Wickes or her columns, please go to: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/CulinaryJen