Thursday, September 21, 2017

Millet

That's my guess, anyway. It doesn't look like wheat or barley. It certainly isn't rape (used to make canola oil) or corn. I don't remember ever eating millet in the US. It's mostly found in bird seed mixes. And it's not that prevalent here in France, either. We've found it in health food stores (it's a no-gluten grain) and sometimes in the organic section of the supermarket. But in Asia and Africa, millet is apparently a very common food.

I wonder if this millet is destined for birds or the health food store?

I really enjoy eating it. Millet has a nice nutty flavor and it's got a little crunch after cooking. We eat many different grains regularly. The most common is probably wheat in products like bread and flour, but also wheat berries, couscous, and bulgur. After that, it's rice. Among the varieties we eat most often are round, basmati, long Thai, and a couple of varieties grown down in the Rhône delta here in France (riz de Camargue). And then there's millet. Since it's not all that easy to find, we don't have it as often as I'd like.

5 comments:

  1. I took a bike ride down to Chaumont yesterday and saw a huge field of this. It was all dried out and looked like a field of gold.

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  2. Whatever it is, it's beautiful (he says as he munches soy nuts).

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  3. how do u cook it?? like rice?? Do u mix anything else in with it?

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  4. Lovely picture. Millet is a lot like quinoa, although supposedly not as complete in terms of proteins provided. I find it a nice trade-off sometimes with rice, but I also keep quinoa in the pantry. Don't know if you can get it there.

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  5. stuart, that sounds like a good ride!

    mitch, soy nuts?

    melinda, yes, like rice. It can be eaten cold in a salad (like a tabbouleh) or hot as a side dish. It can go in soups or stuffings. And probably a lot of other ways.

    emm, I forgot to mention quinoa, yes we get it here. Mixing grains like millet and quinoa make a good base for a salad!

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