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The millet
seed is a small, round, ivory colored seed about 20 mm in diameter. There are 6,000
varieties of millet grown around the world. The variety sold in North America for human
consumption is called Pearl Millet. It has a rather alkaline pH which makes it a really
easy grain to digest. Used mainly as bird feed, millet has a rather bland flavor.
Millet is thought to be one of the first grains cultivated by
man. The first recorded comments regarding millet date back to 5,500 BC in China. Millet
could have been domesticated hundreds or even thousands of years before this in Africa
where it still grows wild throughout the continent. Found in ancient pottery and ancient
writings alike throughout China, millet was an extremely important grain but diminished
somewhat with the advent of rice and maize. Although it’s role has diminished through
the centuries, millet is still a food under wide cultivation in parts of Africa, India and
China where it’s a staple food. Much of millet’s success in surviving through
the ages has been it’s ability to produce well in hot, arid, drought prone areas
where nothing else will grow. As another plus, it can be harvested only 45-65 days after
planting. Through the centuries, Millet spread it’s way through Europe and was most
often eaten boiled whole as a porridge but was sometimes made into a flat bread which the
Egyptians first developed.
Millet contains more calories than wheat, probably because of
it’s higher oil content of 4.2% which is 50% polyunsaturated. Millet is rich in B
vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc copper and manganese. It’s
protein content is a little lower than that of wheat as are the essential amino acids.
Like wheat, lysine is millet’s limiting amino acid. However, millet contains enough
protein to still be considered a good protein source.
Millet is a gluten free grain and is the only grain that
retains it’s alkaline properties after being cooked which is ideal for people with
wheat allergies. With a texture much like brown rice, millet can be used in pilafs,
casseroles or most oriental dishes that call for rice, quinoa or buckwheat. It can be
ground into flour and used in flat breads or mixed up to 25% with wheat flour for use in
yeast breads. After it has been soaked for a couple of hours, millet in it’s whole
grain form cooks like rice in about 20 minutes. Millet cooks well into vegetable loaves
and adds body to soups and stews. Millet added dry to your biscuit, bread and roll doughs
adds a crunchy texture and brings variety to your baked goods. Able to be popped like
popcorn, popped millet goes well in breakfast cereals, granola and bread. Increasing in
volume more than any other grain, a cup of dry millet expands to three cups of cooked
millet which takes on the form of a fluffy, delicate flavored hot cereal you are sure to
appreciate.
For baked dishes, cook millet at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Boiled millet cooks in 10-20 minutes. Steamed millet, cooked in a saucepan, cooks in 15 to
30 minutes.
Millet is a good storing grain which will store without any
special considerations for one to two years. If you want to put millet into long term
storage, package it inside air-tight containers and use oxygen
absorbers. Stored in this fashion and put in a cool place, millet should keep well for
many years.
Recipes:
- http://recipes.alastra.com/breads-machine/orange-millet.html Orange Millet Bread (For Bread Machine)
- http://recipes.alastra.com/breads-machine/oatmeal-millet.html Sweet Oatmeal Bread w/Millet
- http://www.ivu.org/recipes/greek/tabouli-with.html Tabouli with Millet
- http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch29.html Millet with spicy tomato sauce
- http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/gluten-free/recipe9.rec Millet Bread
References:
- The Prudent Pantry by Alan T. Hagan
- http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_grains_beans_seeds.htm
- http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Eleusine_coracana.htm
- http://books.nap.edu/books/0309049903/html/38.html
- http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/Ag317-99/id/WeedID/Ffox.html
- http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch29.html
- http://www.voicenet.com/~tjohn/grains.html