All About Millet

Millet is one of the oldest foods known to man and possibly the first cereal to be used for domestic purposes. It is mentioned in the Bible, and was used in these times to make bread. Millet has been used in Africa and India as a staple food for thousands of years, and was cultivated as early as 2700 BC in China, where it was the prevalent grain before rice became the dominant staple. It is documented that the plant was also grown by the lake residents of Switzerland during the Stone Age.

Today millet ranks as the sixth most important cereal in the world, maintain 1 / 3 of world population and is an essential part of the diet in northern China, Japan, Manchuria and various areas of the former Soviet Union, Africa, India and Egypt.

Millet is an important crop in many of these countries, especially Africa and the Indian subcontinent where the crop covers almost 100 million hectares, and thrive in hot, dry climate, are not conducive to growing other grains like wheat and rice.

The Hunza, who live in a remote area of the Himalayan foothills and are known for their good health and longevity also enjoy millet as a staple of their diet.

Millet is used in different cultures in many different ways: The Hunza using millet as a cereal, in soups, and to make dense, whole grain bread called chapatti.

In India flat thin cakes called roti are often made of millet flour and used as a basis for meals.

In Eastern Europe, millet is used in porridge and kasha, or fermented into a beverage and in Africa, it used to bake bread, as baby food and Uji, a thin gruel used as breakfast porridge. It is also used as a filler ingredient for cabbage rolls in some countries.

Millet was introduced to America in 1875, was grown and consumed by the early colonists as maize, fell into oblivion. At present, grain known in the U.S. and other Western countries, mainly as bird and cattle feed. Only in recent years has begun to make a comeback and is now becoming a more widely consumed grain in the western world. 

The factory has now grown in the U.S. at 200,000 hectares in Colorado, North Dakota and Nebraska, but a large proportion of the harvest is still used for livestock, poultry, and bird food. It is remarkable that in spite of grain is an ancient food, research on millet and its food value is in its infancy, and its potential enormous.

Research results so far are promising, showing grain to have a great ability and versatility and more and more uses for millet, discovered each year, including the potential benefits in the American diet. Millet is better feed for poultry, pigs, fish and animals, and it has been shown for humans, as well.

Millet is associated with sorghum, which is used to make the thick darkness sweetener, sorghum syrup. Discrepancies exist about exactly what the family really belongs millet, with some references that give the family name as Gramineae, and others argued that it is in the family Poaceae. There are many varieties of millet, but the four main types of Pearl, who comprise 40% of world production, Foxtail, Proso and Finger Millet. Pearl millet produces the largest seeds and is the variety most commonly used for human consumption.

Millet is a high erect annual grass with an appearance strikingly similar to maize. The plants will vary somewhat in appearance and size, depending on the variety, and can grow anywhere from one to 15 meters high. Generally, plants are coarse stems that grows in dense clumps, and the leaves are grass-like, numerous and slender, measuring about an inch wide and up to more than 6 feet long.

The seeds are enclosed in colored hulls, with colors depending on variety and seed heads themselves were made of the grassy plant on a spike like panicle 6 to 14 inches wide, and is very attractive. Because of an unusually hard, indigestible hull, this grain must be hulled before it can be used for human consumption. Hulling not affect nutritional value, as the germ stays intact through this process.

One out of the hull, millet grains resemble small yellow ball with a dot on one side, where it was attached to the trunk. This gives the seed an appearance similar small, pale yellow bead. Millet is unique because of its short growing season. It can develop from a planted seed to a mature, ready to reap the factory in as little as 65 days. This is an important consideration for areas where food is needed for many.

Millet grows well on poorly fertilized and dry soil, and fits well in hot climates with short rainfall periods and cool climates with brief warm summers. The plants need good drainage, has a low moisture requirement and thrive in waterlogged soil.

Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid food, is soothing and easy to digest. In reality, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to warm the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates.

Millet is tasty, slightly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is almost 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

The seeds are also rich in photochemically, including phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and phytate, which is associated with reduced cancer risk.

Millet has an interesting feature in pods and seeds contain small amounts of goiterogenic substances that limit the uptake of iodine into the thyroid. In large quantities these "thyroid inhibitors" can cause goiter, and some researchers believe this may explain, at least in part, that it confuses correlation between millet consumption and goiter prevalence in some developing countries where millet is an important part of the diet . In many of these countries, a second contributing factor may be lack of sufficient dietary iodine.

Naturally, these substances are reduced during the hulling process, but there are definitely disagreements about the idea that the process of cooking largely destroys those who are left in the seed itself. Some scientists including Dr. Jeffrey Bland believes that cooking reduces these substances, while others argue that it is not, and that in reality, if the millet is cooked and stored in the refrigerator for a week, a common practice in many cultures, these drugs will actually increase as much as six times.

Millet not only in possession of this property. Commonly eaten foods which also contain these substances goiterogenic include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, spinach, turnips, rutabagas, cassava, soya beans, peanuts, peaches and pears.

All these foods are nutritionally valuable as millet and it is usually no reason for alarm. A healthy, whole foods based diet containing a variety of foods will ensure that an excess of these goiterogenic compounds not consumed. It is important to note that Jean Wallace, PhD, CNC, says that for those with hypothyroidism a significant guideline would be to consume three servings per day or less of the foods that contain goiterogenic relations. 

There are many variations for cooking millet. A good general guideline is to use 3 parts water or stock and 1 part grain, adding cereal to boiling water and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam, covered for ten minutes more.

Korn has a fluffier texture when less water is used and is very moist and dense when cooked with extra water.

The flavor of millet is exacerbated by mild roasting of cereals in a dry pan until boiling, stir constantly for about three minutes, or until a mild, nutty flavor is detected.

If millet presoaked cooking time shortened by 5 to 10 minutes.

An exciting proposal for cooking millet in the book Hunza Health Secrets: Enjoy the grain at night, heat, water or other liquid in the top of a double boiler, add millet and steam over boiling water for thirty minutes, or until the millet is tender.

Individual preferences can be resolved by experimenting with cooking times, methods and liquid amounts.

Millet is delicious as a cooked cereal and in casseroles, breads, soups, stews, soufflé, pilaf, and stuffing. It can be used as a side dish or served in sautéed vegetables or with beans and can be popped like corn for use as a snack or breakfast cereal. Grain mixes well with any spices or herbs that are commonly used in rice dishes and interesting flavor and texture variations may be combined with quinoa and brown or basmati rice.

Millet may also shot for use in salads and sandwiches.

Millet flour produces light, dry, delicate pastries and a crust that is thin and buttery smooth. For yeast bread up to 30% millet flour may be used but it must be combined with glutinous flour for bread to rise. For a nice "crunch" in the bakery, presented millet seeds whole and raw before baking.

Proper storage, whole millet can be stored safely for up to two years. Grain must be stored in sealed containers, preferably glass, in a cool dry place with a temperature of less than 70 ° or in the refrigerator. Mel badly and becomes rancid very quickly after it is ground, so it is best to grind flour just before it is used.

As we have seen, millet is very nutritious, healthy and versatile grain that would be a worthy addition to anyone's diet.