Cookbook:Millet
| Millet | |
|---|---|
| Category | Cereals |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients

Millets are a general agronomic and culinary group of small-seeded cereal grains,[1][2][3] widely grown around the world for food and fodder. The group includes various sub-types.[1]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Most millets produce very small, round grains after hulling.[1][2][3][4][5] The color is light, and the flavor is mild if slightly nutty and corn-like.[5][6][7] The grain's protein content is high,[1][2][3][7] though it is gluten-free.[8] Many varieties of millet are drought and pest-resistant, and they are suitable for cultivation in harsh environments. Finger millet has a very high malting power.[9] Most millets are difficult to mill due to the small size and the strong attachment of the bran; as a result, it is often processed into a whole-grain flour.[9][10]
Varieties
[edit | edit source]There are many varieties of millet cultivated globally. Fonio and sorghum are sometimes grouped with millets, but they are often considered separate cereal grains. Several common varieties of millet are as follows:
- Panicum miliaceum[4][10]: Common/hog/proso/Indian/white millet, broomcorn[4][10]
- Eleusine coracana[4][11]: Finger/birdsfoot millet, ragi[4][11][9]
- Pennisetum typhoides[10]: Pearl/cattail/bulrush millet, gero, bajra[10][9]
- Echinochloa frumentacea: Japanese barnyard millet[4]
- Setaria italica[4][10]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]Millet may be sold as whole grains, cracked grains, or meal/flour.[6] The whole millet grains store extremely well, with excellent pest resistance.[9] Once ground, the flour goes rancid relatively quickly due to oils present in the whole-grain flour.[2][9] Storing millet flour in the fridge extends its lifetime.[12]
Use
[edit | edit source]Millets are principally food sources in arid and semi-arid regions of the world,[1][4][10] including parts of Africa and Asia.[4] The hulled grains can be cooked whole as in a porridge or pilaf or ground to a flour and used in various flatbreads.[1][4][5][13] It can also be malted; fermented into beer or distilled into liquor;[9] and in India, some millets can be popped like popcorn.[9][12]
A simple cooked millet dish can be made by toasting millet in a pan, adding 5 volumes of boiling water per 2 volumes of millet, and simmering for 30–35 minutes.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f Amendola, Joseph; Rees, Nicole (2003-01-03). Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-44418-3.
- ↑ a b c d Manley, Duncan (2011-09-28). Manley’s Technology of Biscuits, Crackers and Cookies. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-85709-364-6.
- ↑ a b c McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
- ↑ a b c America's Test Kitchen (2014-03-01). The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques. Groundbreaking Recipes. America's Test Kitchen. ISBN 978-1-936493-61-6.
- ↑ a b The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (2015-02-25). Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-92865-3.
- ↑ a b Labensky, Sarah; Martel, Priscilla; Damme, Eddy Van (2015-01-06). On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Updated Edition. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-388675-7.
- ↑ Research Chefs Association (2016-02-29). Culinology: The Intersection of Culinary Art and Food Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-48134-9.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. 1996-02-14. ISBN 978-0-309-04990-0.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Varelis, Peter; Melton, Laurence; Shahidi, Fereidoon, eds. (2019). Encyclopedia of food chemistry. Vol. 1. Vol. 1. Oxford: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-12-816848-6.
- ↑ a b Zhou, Weibiao; Hui, Y. H. (2014-08-11). Bakery Products Science and Technology. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-96715-6.
- ↑ a b Figoni, Paula (2010-11-09). How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-39267-6.
- ↑ Rinsky, Glenn; Rinsky, Laura Halpin (2008-02-28). The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-00955-0.