Millet is a cereal grain that belongs to the Poaceae family, commonly known as the grass family ( 1 ). It’s widely consumed in developing countries throughout Africa and Asia. While it may look like a seed, millet’s nutritional profile is similar to that of sorghum and other cereals ( 2 ).
Millets are some of the oldest of cultivated crops. The term millet is applied to various grass crops whose seeds are harvested for food or feed . The five millet species of commercial importance are proso, foxtail, barnyard, browntop and pearl.
The name “millet” refers to several different but related grains from the grass family Poaceae. They look like tiny corn kernels and cost about a quarter of what you would pay for quinoa, making them among the more economical grains available. They are also naturally gluten-free. Like many whole grains, millet can be purchased as flour or flakes .
Our answer is Americans might think of millet as a main ingredient in birdseed . But in a third of the world, from Africa to Asia to Eastern Europe, people eat millet as a staple part of their diet. It’s one of the earliest cultivated grains and more than 6,000 varieties grow around the world.
Although less commonly eaten in the U. Millet is considered a staple for about 1/3 of the worlds population. The grain is fairly bland in flavor and benefits from added broth or seasonings. You can prepare millet as you would rice using a ratio of 1/2 cup millet with 1 1/2 cups liquid and cook for about 25 minutes.
Can Millet be cooked like rice?
It can be cooked in much the same way as rice , with or without pre-soaking. Millet is an important food crop in the world’s hot, arid countries, because their tolerance of heat and drought allow it to flourish where other grains will wither and die.
Soaking Millet for Cooking and Baking. Soaking millet overnight in cold water, or for an hour in hot water, speeds the cooking process considerably. Although small, millet seeds take approximately 30 minutes to cook in boiling water.
Soaking millet overnight in cold water, or for an hour in hot water, speeds the cooking process considerably. Although small, millet seeds take approximately 30 minutes to cook in boiling water. This is less time than brown rice, but significantly more than white long-grain rice.
When is millet harvested?
Harvest the millet when the grasses and seed heads have turned golden brown. Millet can be harvested either by hand or with the use of a mechanical thresher. Millet was first brought to the United States in 1874 and first planted in Southern California.
However, its short growing season allows for millet to be planted as late as June or possibly even July. Because millet can be planted so late in the season, it has been known to be planted as an emergency grain if another crop has failed. Millet grows to a height of up to 40 inches, and has large, distinct seed heads.
While researching we ran into the query “When to harvest foxtail millet?”.
For forage, foxtail millet is harvested at the late boot to late bloom stage. The composition of foxtail millet relative to other forages is shown in Table 2.
Do you need to soak millet?
There is no intrinsic need to soak millet. Unlike sorghum, it contains no bitter tannins, and unlike quinoa, millet does not protect itself with unpalatable saponins. However, there is no reason not to soak millet, and many traditional preparations begin by doing so.
This of course begs the inquiry “How many hours need to soak millets?”
Soaking millet makes it easier to digest and allows your body to absorb more nutrients. Simply soak your millet in 3 times the amount of water for at least 7-8 hours. I usually do it overnight.