Grain Challenge - September: Rice & Wild Rice

September is not only Whole Grains Month, but also National Rice Month – and the month traditionally celebrated as Wild Rice Month, as well. While these two versatile, nutritious, gluten-free whole grains have similar names, wild rice is not actually a kind of rice, and each grain has a full story of its own. So this month we’re offering two full Grain of the Month features.

Continue reading below for our feature on rice.
Click here to access our feature on wild rice.

ALL ABOUT RICE

Rice [Oryza sativa] provides about half the calories for up to half of the world’s population, especially in parts of Asia, South America and the Indies. Worldwide, it’s second in production to corn – but first in its contribution to human food, since corn is used for many other purposes.

Rice can be traced to both South Asia and Africa, originally, but today it is grown on every continent except Antarctica. It grows everywhere from flatlands to steep mountainsides – its only requirement is plenty of water. Traditionally, rice fields are flooded to kill weeds and pests that aren’t as water-loving as the young rice plants. Then, just as the rice plants are saying, “enough water, already!” the fields are drained. Rice can actually grow without flooding, but greater pest- and weed-control measures will be needed. Want to watch a rice field growing, day by day? Click here for a cool tour from Lundberg Farms.

After rice is harvested, its inedible hull must be removed, resulting in a whole grain (often brown) rice kernel. If the rice is milled further, the bran and germ are removed, resulting in white rice, with lower levels of nutrients.

Rice is often classified by size and texture. There’s long-, medium-, and short-grain rices, with the former quite elongated and the latter nearly round. Some short-grain rices are known as “sticky” rice because of the extra amylopectin (a kind of starch) that they contain; this stickiness makes them easier to manipulate with chopsticks, and perfect for sushi. Aromatic rices have a special fragrance and taste. We’re all familiar with the wonderful fragrance of Basmati or Texmati rice; in India Ambemohar rice, with the fragrance of mango blossoms, is a big favorite.

Rice growing in fields and paddies has three edible parts – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm – just like all other whole grains. Most of us think of “brown rice” as being synonymous with whole grain rice, but in fact whole grain rice can be many different colors, depending on the variety of rice. Most rice varieties look similarly white once they’re milled to remove the bran and germ – but trace them back to their origins, and you’ll see a vibrant range of colors.

	Rice growing in a field Rice is generally grown as an annual crop, with seedlings planted or seeds sown in late spring and harvest about six months later. Flooding at various stages in the plant's life keep pests and weeds at bay. Depending on the variety and on soil and weather conditions, rice plants can grow to anywhere from 3' to 6' tall (1-2m).
	Close-up of Rice Growing In this photo, you can see the rice "heads" filling with kernels.
	Long Grain Brown Rice Long grain rice has a long, slender kernel, four to five times longer than its width.  Cooked grains are separate, light, and fluffy.
	Medium Grain Brown Rice  Medium grain rice has a shorter, wider kernel (two to three times longer than its width) than long grain rice.  Cooked grains are more moist and tender, and have a greater tendency to cling together than long grain.
	Short Grain Brown Rice Short grain rice has a short, plump, almost round kernel.  Cooked grains are soft and cling together.
	Sweet Brown Rice Sweet rice is short and plump with a chalky white, opaque kernel.  When cooked, sweet rice loses its shape and is very sticky.
	Wehani® Rice This long-grain honey-red rice was naturally-bred and developed from an Indian Basmati-type seed. Like other aromatic rices, it has a distinctive nutty fragrance when cooked. (Lundberg Family Farms developed this variety of rice. While we don't usually use brand names, we're including Wehani rice here to illustrate the diversity of rice varieties available, and to make the point that new varieties are being developed all the time.)
	Brown Basmati Rice India is well known for its fragrant Basmati rice, another aromatic long-grain rice with a distinct "popcorn" aroma.
	Himalayan Red Rice Also imported from India, this long-grain rice has a reddish bran layer and a nutty, complex flavor that adds visual and taste delight to any dish.
	Colusari Red Rice Grown in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S., Colusari Red Rice originated in a seed bank in Maryland. When  cooked, it adds an upscale burgundy color to the plate. (As with the Wehani rice above, this rice was custom-developed, through natural breeding – this time, for Indian Harvest Specialtifoods.)
	Purple Thai Rice Slightly sweeter than some other rices, Purple Thai rice was traditionally used in dessert recipes, but is now turning up in savory dishes too. Add other ingredients at the last minute, unless you want them to take on the distinctive reddish-blue hue of this rice!
	Chinese Black Rice Chinese Black Rice is a medium-grain rice with white kernels inside the black bran. Cooked, it takes on a deep purplish color.

 HEALTH BENEFITS OF RICE

Brown rice has much higher levels of many vitamins and minerals than white rice. Click here to see a comparision of the nutrient levels in brown and white rice.  Other colored rices have similarly higher nutrient levels, but aren’t as well studied as brown rice.

Brown rice is an excellent source of manganese. Just one cup of cooked brown rice provides 88% of your daily need for manganese, a mineral that helps us digest fats and get the most from the proteins and carbohydrates we eat. Manganese also may help protect against free radicals. It’s also a good source of selenium.

Studies indicate that whole grain brown rice may

•    cut diabetes risk

•    lower cholesterol

•    helped maintain a healthy weight

Sprouting brown rice may confer additional health benefits (the most studied sprouted grain).

COOKING AND STORING RICE

Cooking common varieties of brown rice is simple. In general, combine 1 cup uncooked brown rice with about two cups liquid (such as water or broth) in a 2-3 quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes. If rice is not quite tender or liquid is not absorbed, replace lid and cook 2 to 4 minutes longer. Fluff with a fork and serve. Yields 3-4 cups.

Other varieties of whole grain rice may take different amounts of time. Bhutanese red rice, for instance, takes only about 20 minutes to cook. Check the package of any rice for specific instructions. While many people swear by their rice cookers, we want everyone to know that a simple saucepan is all it takes to cook rice!

Tips for perfect rice:

• Keep lid on pot during cooking
• Don’t stir – unless you like sticky rice. Stirring releases extra starch. (That's the reason for all that stirring when making risotto!)
• If rice (or any other grain) is sticking to the pot, add a little water, turn off the heat, and let it steam for a few extra minutes. Usually the rice will release from the pot.

Whole grain rice comes in many quick-cooking forms these days too. These brown rice options are partially (or completely) pre-cooked, so all you have to do is warm them up for ten minutes – or even as little as 90 seconds in the microwave. So brown rice can have a place on your table even when you’re in a hurry.

Storing and freezing brown rice. Store uncooked brown rice at room temperature for up to six months, or in your fridge or freezer for longer periods. Cooked rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for several months. It’s easy to cook a big batch of brown rice, freeze it in batches sized for your household, and simply warm it up at mealtime.

RECIPES

• Asian Lettuce Wraps
• Cilantro-Lime Rice
• Apple Wild Rice
• Fool-Proof Baked Brown Rice

FUN FACTS ABOUT RICE

Want to win big at Trivial Pursuit next time the subject is rice? Here's what you need to know: 

• The Japanese word for cooked rice is the same as the word for meal.
• In India, rice is the first food a new bride offers her husband. It is also the first food offered a newborn. There is a saying that grains of rice should be like two brothers — close, but not stuck together.
• Instead of saying "How are you?" as a typical greeting, the Chinese ask "Have you had your rice today?"
• There are more than 40,000 different known varieties of rice, but of these only about 100 are commonly grown world-wide, and just a few of these are commercially marketed and sold.
• Rice is a symbol of life and fertility, which led to the tradition of throwing rice at weddings.
• Rice is cultivated in over 100 countries and on every continent except Antarctica.
• There are over 29,000 grains of rice in one pound of long grain rice.
• On cooking, rice swells to at least three times its original weight.
• 96% of the world’s rice is eaten in the area in which it is grown.
• Thailand, Vietnam, India, and the USA are the top 4 rice-exporting countries in the world.
• 85% of the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown there. The major rice producing states are Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri.  Almost half of the U.S. rice crop is exported to over 100 countries.
• More than 1 billion people throughout the world are actively involved in growing rice.
• Americans eat about 26 pounds of rice per person each year. Asians eat as much as 300 pounds per person each year, while in the United Arab Emirates it is about 450 pounds, and in France about 10 pounds.

*post from wholegrainscouncil.org

Grain Challenge: July/August - Wheat (Kamut/Spelt)

July’s Grain of the Month is Wheat. Worldwide, wheat is the third most-produced grain, trailing only corn (maize) and rice. In the United States, wheat accounts for about two-thirds of all grains consumed. However, much of the wheat we eat is refined (missing its nutritious bran and germ) or enriched (refined grain with just five of the dozens of missing or reduced nutrients added back in). So it’s important to remember that this page celebrates whole grain wheat.

ORIGINS AND KINDS OF WHEAT

Imagine you’re part of a nomadic tribe chasing wild game, and today you’ve come up empty. Nothing to do but chew on a handful of grass seeds to alleviate your hunger. But wait! This grass tastes better than the grass we used to eat… The seeds in question were from a clan of wild grasses known as Triticeae, the early ancestors of wheat, barley and rye. Some of the earliest varieties – einkorn and emmer – are still enjoyed today in the areas where they are thought to have originated: einkorn in Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey, and emmer (farro) in the Central Mediterranean. 

Einkorn is like most plants in that it is a diploid meaning it contains 2 sets of chromosomes.  About 2,000 years after einkorn wheat, emmer wheat was created by the hybridization of 2 wild grasses.  Consequently, emmer has 4 sets of chromosomes.  Kamut and Durum wheat are both descendents of emmer. Spelt is the result of hybridization between cultivated emmer and another wild grass and so contains six sets of chromosomes.  Modern wheat is a descendent of spelt. As you can see, einkorn is the purest and most ancient form of wheat available as it only has 2 sets of chromosomes (so only 14 total) and is naturally very low in gluten!

Early largely-extinct wild wheat varieties had fourteen chromosomes (diploid), ancient-but-extant varieties such as durum wheat and Kamut® have 28 chromosomes (tetraploid), while most modern wheats have forty-two chromosomes (hexaploid).

As agrarian civilization replaced hunters and gatherers, newer varieties of wheat became favorite grains for two main reasons: the seeds were easy to separate from the inedible parts of the grain, and the dough became elastic when mixed with liquid. This meant it was easy to harvest the grain, and to create a wide range of interesting foods, from breads, to porridges, to pastas using wheat.

	Red Wheat BerriesTriticum aestivum L. Individual wheat kernels are usually referred to as "wheat berries" when they're sold in stores. You can cook these whole kernels, or berries, just as you'd cook rice – to enjoy as a side dish. Red Wheat is the most commonly-grown wheat in the U.S. An albino variety of wheat, called White Wheat, has a lighter color and milder taste but is equally nutritious.
	Spelt  Triticum spelta L. Spelt is perhaps the best known of the "ancient" wheats. Some eight centuries ago, when spelt had already been cultivated for several millennia, Hildegard von Bingen wrote of spelt, "The spelt is the best of grains. It is rich and nourishing and milder than other grain. It produces a strong body and healthy blood to those who eat it and makes the spirit of man light and cheerful."  Today, once again, spelt breads and pastas are fairly widely available.
	Khorosan WheatTriticum turgidum, ssp. turanicum Khorosan wheat, often sold under the brand name Kamut®, is considered a type of durum wheat. As part of the brand identity, Kamut® khorosan is always organic, and is higher in zinc, magnesium and especially selenium, when compared to modern wheat. Kamut® khorosan is especially popular in Italy, a country responsible for about half of world-wide production. Click here for more.
	Emmer or FarroTriticum turgidum L. group dicoccum Emmer, also known as Farro, is one of the oldest forms of wheat we know. Pliny the Elder, natural historian of the Roman Empire, wrote about emmer as already ancient in his time; he described how it was formerly called adoreum (or "glory") and played a major role in religious sacrifices.
	Wheat Flakes We're used to seeing oats in flaked (rolled) form. You may be surprised to know that wheat flakes are also widely available (we bought these at our local health food store) and make a fun addition to baked goods or a tasty breakfast cereal.
	Spelt Flakes Ditto everything above, but this time these are spelt flakes.
	Kamut® Puffs Any kind of wheat can be puffed. These puffs just happen to be made from  Kamut®. Unlike corn, amaranth, and sorghum, all of which can be puffed (think popped!) in your kitchen, it takes industrial machinery to get wheat to pop open like this.
	Bulgur Wheat Bulgur is not a variety of wheat like those above – it's a traditional way of processing wheat. To make bulgur, the wheat kernels are cooked, then dried, then broken up into smaller pieces. Because bulgur is largely pre-cooked, you can "finish it off" in your kitchen in about 15-20 minutes. Two kinds of bulgur are pictured here: red wheat bulgur on the left and white wheat bulgur on the right.
	Whole Wheat Flours Yes, these are BOTH whole wheat flours. On the left you see traditional whole wheat flour, made from red wheat, and on the right, it's white whole wheat flour, made from white wheat.

OTHER VARIETIES OF WHEAT NOT PICTURED ABOVE:

In truth there are many, many varieties of wheat not pictured above. But these two seemed especially important to mention.

Durum Wheat [Triticum turgidum L. group Durum Desf.]
Durum is a hard wheat, high in protein, that's commonly used to make pasta and couscous. Most durum wheat grown today is amber durum, which has a delightful golden color.  Durum wheat grows well without irrigation, making it well suited to dry climates.

Einkorn [Triticum monococcum L]
Generally thought to be the most ancient of wheat varieties available today, einkorn is still grown in Austria, southern France (where it’s called petit épeautre), Germany, and some eastern European countries. Studies show that compared to modern wheat it’s higher in protein, phosphorus, potassium, and beta-carotene, among other nutrients. Very low in gluten!

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HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHOLE WHEAT

Did you know that some ancient wheats such as Emmer (Farro) and Einkorn may be much higher in antioxidants and may be digested differently than common wheat? (many people have problems digesting today's modern wheat, but can handle more ancient forms with less gluten).

COOKING WITH WHEAT

We cook whole wheat at home in four main ways: as flour in baked goods; as wheat berries for side dishes and in casseroles; as bulgur; and as pasta or couscous. 

Flour. Whole wheat flour behaves a bit differently in recipes than refined all-purpose flour. As a rule of thumb, you can generally substitute whole wheat flour for up to half the all-purpose flour in a recipe. To make foods using more whole wheat, we recommend you start with recipes specifically designed to be their most delicious with whole wheat.

In general, whole white wheat flour is milder in flavor and smoother in texture than "regular" whole wheat flour. There are also special flours available that combine whole white wheat flour and all-purpose flour in the same bag, to make it even easier to transition your taste buds over to whole grains.

Wheat Berries. Whole wheat kernels are usually described as "wheat berries." You cook them in water or broth (about 2 1/2 cups liquid for each cup of wheat berries) for about 45-60 minutes. As always when cooking grains, taste a few as cooking progresses. When the grains are soft enough for you, they're done. You can add more liquid and cook longer, or drain extra liquid off if the grains are done to your taste before all the liquid is absorbed.

Bulgur. Bulgur is wheat that's been pre-cooked and broken into pieces, so you can quickly "finish it off" in your kitchen. Generally, you can simply add boiling water or broth to bulgur (about 1 3/4 to 2 cups liquid per cup of bulgur) and let it soak for about 20-25 minutes in a covered pot.

Pasta and couscous: Couscous is not a grain (there is no couscous plant!) – it's more like a small grain-shaped pasta. Whole wheat couscous is so small it can usually be "cooked" simply by soaking in boiling water, while pasta takes about 8 minutes to cook.

RECIPES

Try kamut or spelt in any recipe to substitute for wheat. Or if you have digestive issues with some of today's modern wheat, try soaked grain recipes. 

• Scones (try with kamut ground flour)
• ARtisan Bread in 5 Minutes (try with half kamut/spelt, or full whole grain with dough enhancer added)
• Pecan cookies

Soaked RECIPES

• Soaked Brownie Cake
• Basic Soaked Waffles

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some of this info from the Whole Foods Council

Grain Challenge -June: Sorghum

**Info from Whole Grains Council

June's Grain of the Month is Sorghum. Ask a hundred people if they've ever eaten sorghum and chances are, they'll have no idea what you’re talking about. However, sorghum, a cereal grain, is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world, largely because of its natural drought tolerance and versatility as food, feed and fuel. In Africa and parts of Asia, sorghum is primarily a human food product, while in the United States it is used mainly for livestock feed and in a growing number of ethanol plants. However, the United States also has seen food usage on the rise, thanks to the gluten-free benefits of sorghum for those with celiac disease.

OUT OF AFRICA

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is known under a great many names: milo, guinea corn in West Africa, kafir corn in South Africa, dura in Sudan, mtama in eastern Africa, jowar in India and kaoliang in China. It is an ancient cereal grain and was collected 8000 years ago in Southern Egypt. But today different varieties of sorghum are grown all over the world. The kernels vary in color from white and pale yellow to deep reds, purples and browns; white, bronze, and brown kernels are most common. 

	White Sorghum Grains This is white sorghum, the kind most commonly consumed in Western countries.
	Dark Sorghum Grains Sorghum comes in many varieties, ranging in color from ivory to bronze to reddish-black. Darker colored sorghums generally have a more pronounced flavor.
	A Variety of Sorghums Sorghum kernels grow in seed heads like those shown here.
	Sorghum Growing in a Field You may actually have seen sorghum growing in a field, but assumed it was corn because of the close resemblance (to the unknowing eye!).
	Popped Sorghum Just as with popcorn, the moisture in sorghum kernels can swell when heated, making the kernel pop into a tasty snack.
	Sorghum Flour Just like all the other grains we've featured here on the WGC site, sorghum flour just looks like plain old flour. Perhaps that will encourage you to try substituting some for the "normal" flour in your favorite recipes.

Increased prevalence and diagnosis of celiac disease have led to strong growth in the gluten-free market, of which sorghum is a key component. While 40,000 to 60,000 Americans have been diagnosed as celiac, the federal government estimates there could be as many as 3 million undiagnosed. A gluten-free diet incorporating sorghum also has been adopted by many with autism, ADHD and irritable bowel syndrome, although research in this area is limited.

But being gluten-free isn’t sorghum’s only bragging right. It’s also a whole grain that provides many other nutritional benefits. Sorghum, which doesn't have an inedible hull like some other grains, is commonly eaten with all its outer layers, thereby retaining the majority of its nutrients.  Sorghum also is grown from traditional hybrid seeds and does not contain traits gained through biotechnology, making it nontransgenic (non-GMO).

Some specialty sorghums are high in antioxidants, which are believed to help lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and some neurological diseases. In addition, the wax surrounding the sorghum grain contains compounds called policosanols, that may have an impact on human cardiac health. Some researchers, in fact, believe that policosanols have cholesterol-lowering potency comparable to that of statins.

SO EASY TO USE

Sorghum can be substituted for wheat flour in a variety of baked goods. Its neutral, sometimes sweet, flavor and light color make it easily adaptable to a variety of dishes. Sorghum improves the texture of recipes and digests more slowly with a lower glycemic index, so it sticks with you a bit longer than other flours or flour substitutes.

A wide variety of recipes using sorghum can be found online and in cookbooks, particularly those catering to a gluten-free diet. These recipes include muffins, breads, pizzas, pastas, casseroles, cookies, cakes, pies and more.To get you started, here are links to some sorghum recipes on the Whole Grains Council website:

Molasses Sorghum Cookies
Sorghum Egg Noodles
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Sorghum Pie Crust
Milo Salad with Oregano, Feta and Cucumbers
Sorghum Pancakes
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sorghum Bread

You can also substitute sorghum in your existing recipes. Start with recipes that use relatively small amounts of wheat flour, such as brownies or pancakes. Substituting sorghum takes some experimenting and patience, but the results can be very delicious. Because sorghum flour does not contain gluten, bakers often incorporate a binder such as xanthan gum or cornstarch to add “stretch.” 

For instance, you could add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of sorghum flour for cookies and cakes, and 1 teaspoon per cup for breads.

While it's easy to make familiar Western dishes with sorghum, like those above, it's also interesting to know how sorghum fits into food traditions in other parts of the world. In the Mideast, sorghum is made into cous-cous and flatbread; in Bangladesh it's boiled like rice, to produce kichuri; and in Honduras, sorghum tortillas are common.

Throughout Africa, you'll find sorghum porridge or gruel in almost every country, and sorghum flatbreads such as injera , the Ethiopian flatbread (which is made from sorghum or teff or a combination of both). Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are also made from sorghum. Most of these products start with fermented or sprouted sorghum, as these two processes make sorghum's nutrients more available, while increasing shelf life for greater food safety.

Grain Challenge - May: Amaranth

**info from whole grain coucil

Amaranth is the common name for more than 60 different species of amaranthus, which are usually very tall plants with broad green leaves and impressively bright purple, red, or gold flowers.  The name for amaranth comes from the Greek amarantos, “one that does not wither," or “the never-fading.”  Although several species can be viewed as little more than annoying weeds, people around the world value amaranth as leaf vegetables, cereals, and ornamental plants.

It isn’t a true cereal grain in the sense that oats, wheat, sorghum, and most other grains are.  “True cereals” all stem from the Poaceae family of plants, while amaranth (among others) is often referred to as a pseudo-cereal, meaning it belongs to a different plant species.  So why are these interlopers almost always included in the whole grain roundup?  Because their overall nutrient profile is similar to that of cereals, and more importantly, pseudocereals like amaranth have been utilized in traditional diets spanning thousands of years in much the same way as the “true cereals” have been.  

Amaranth grain has a long and colorful history in Mexico and is considered a native crop in Peru.  It was a major food crop of the Aztecs, and some have estimated amaranth was domesticated between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago.  Annual grain tributes of amaranth to the Aztec emperor were roughly equal to corn tributes.  The Aztecs didn’t just grow and eat amaranth, they also used the grains as part of their religious practices.  Many ceremonies would include the creation of a deity’s image that had been made from a combination of amaranth grains and honey.  Once formed, the images were worshipped before being broken into pieces and distributed for people to eat.  When Cortez and his Spaniards landed in the New World in the sixteenth century, they immediately began fervent and often forceful attempts to convert the Aztecs to Christianity.  One of their first moves?  Outlaw foods involved in “heathen” festivals and religious ceremonies, amaranth included.  Although severe punishment was handed to anyone found growing or possessing amaranth, complete eradication of this culturally important, fast-growing, and very prevalent plant proved to be impossible.

	Amaranth Growing in a Field Amaranth plants in full flower offer up flowers in a vibrant range of reds, oranges, purples, and golds.
	Amaranth Ready for Harvest Orange amaranth flowers that have been harvested and allowed to dry, making it easier to harvest the amaranth grains.
	Amaranth Grains Once harvested, tiny amaranth grains are revealed to be a nearly uniform shade of pale cream. Some grains are occasionally darker, ranging from light brown to nearly black in color, so if you see dark specks in your bulk amaranth don’t worry. It’s just a few grains of a darker shade than normal.
	Amaranth Grains in Detail To show you just how tiny amaranth grains are, the WGC got up close and personal for this photo. Each individual grain is so small, it only covers the space of a few ridges of an average person’s fingerprint, about one millimeter.
	Popped Amaranth Sometimes referred to as puffed amaranth, here’s what happens when you pour a few tablespoons of amaranth grains onto a very hot surface – they pop! They may not be as robust as other popped grains, but what these little puffs lack in size, they more than make up for with enthusiasm and can leap right out of a four-quart sauce pan while popping!
	Amaranth Flour We know, it's white and powdery... It could be any type of flour! But trust us on this one, it's ama

AMARANTH’S HEALTH BENEFITS

Amaranth contains more than three times the average amount of calcium and is also high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.  It’s also the only grain documented to contain Vitamin C.  Very little research has been conducted on amaranth’s beneficial properties, but the studies that have focused on amaranth’s role in a healthy diet have revealed three very important reasons to add it to your diet.

It’s a protein powerhouse.  At about 13-14%, it easily trumps the protein content of most other grains.  You may hear the protein in amaranth referred to as “complete” because it contains lysine, an amino acid missing or negligible in many grains.  

It’s good for your heart.  Amaranth has shown potential as a cholesterol-lowing whole grain in several studies conducted over the past 14 years. 

Last but not least, it’s naturally gluten-free.  Gluten is the major protein in many grains and is responsible for the elasticity in dough, allows for leavening, and contributes chewiness to baked products.  But more and more people are finding they cannot comfortably – or even safely – eat products containing gluten, often due to Celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food.  This makes amaranth an important grain to take note of during May, which is Celiac Awareness Month.

AFTER ALL, AMARANTH IS MADE FOR EATING!

In many South American countries, you can find it sold on the streets, most often having been popped like corn.  In India, Mexico, Nepal, and Peru, it’s a traditional ingredient for breakfast porridge.  In Mexico, a favorite treat is dulce de alegria (“alegria” is the Spanish word for joy), a sweet candy-like confection made from popped amaranth mixed with sugar or honey.  And of course, amaranth can be eaten straight up.  Its flavor runs from light and nutty to lively and peppery, making it a popular ingredient in cereals, breads, muffins, crackers, and pancakes.

Cooking amaranth is very easy – measure grains and water, boil water, add grains, gently boil with the occasional stir for 15-20 minutes, then drain, rinse, and enjoy!   It never loses its crunch completely, but rather softens on the inside while maintaining enough outer integrity so that the grains seem to pop between your teeth.  None of our culinary experts reported any success when trying to prepare amaranth for a pilaf, but the cooked grains can be spread on a plate or other flat surface to dry a bit, then sprinkled on salads, added to cookie batters, or stirred into soups.

We suggest at least 6 cups of water for every one cup of amaranth, not because the little grains will absorb that much liquid, but because of what happens to the water that’s left.  To say “your cooking liquid will thicken slightly” is putting it delicately.  Our experiments with the average amount of liquid (about 2 cups) left us with about two inches of excess water that was goopy and viscous, in part due to starch being released by amaranth as it cooks.  The grains hadn’t gone bad or anything, and they were fine after a brief rinse in a fine-mesh strainer, but it was a bit of a surprise.