Cream of Wheat

Cream of wheat’s carbohydrates source is beneficial to mental energy.

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GEEK TALK

Triticum spp

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Farina, Semolina, Sooji (Hin.) Rava (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

As the name suggests, this is simply the creamiest (read starchiest!) portion of the wheat kernel or grain. The whole grain has a fine layer of bran that coats the inner grain which also contains the germ.

This layer and the germ of the wheat grain get separated in milling and the remaining portion known as the endosperm is then ground into a coarse powder that is known as Cream of Wheat (Semolina).

Typically served as a breakfast food, cream of wheat seems a reasonably healthy way known to start your morning off right.

A hot cereal that is similar to both porridge and oatmeal, cream of wheat is typically prepared with milk and is quick and easy to prepare in the US.

In South India, it is known as Rava and is used to prepare Upma which is a savory version of the porridge made with a variety of vegetables and spices.

Also used to make idlis and dosas. Click here for an oatmeal crepe recipe that also used Cream of Wheat.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

Although it is not a whole grain, Cream of Wheat is very high in numerous vitamins, iron, and calcium.
It is a great source of energy due to its high amount of carbohydrates and is believed to be beneficial to memory and mental energy.

RECIPES USING THIS INGREDIENT

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Amaranth

Amaranth has a higher fiber and iron content than wheat.

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GEEK TALK

Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus caudatus and 60 other species

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Pigweed, Hanekam, Amaranto, Rajgira ; Thepe, Hinn Choi (Chinese), Chau Lai, (Hindi) Mola Keerai (Tamil), Dhantina Soppu/ Harive, (Kannada) Phak Khom, (Thai)

DID YOU KNOW?

Amaranth is arguably the most enigmatic and magical plant in the world. Its grains too are tiny and like Quinoa, it has some amazing health properties.

Amaranth is probably also the most versatile plant in its edibility, whose stems, leaves & seeds are all edible. The grain is amazingly healthful and to top it all, its flowers are stunningly beautiful!

Its grains are very familiar in western India (as Rajgira) but in China (Hinn Choy), Thailand and in South India, it is a form of Spinach. Amaranth can also be cooked as a cereal, ground into flour, popped like corn, sprouted, or toasted.

The seeds can be cooked with other whole grains, added to stir-fry, or to soups and stews as a thickening agent. Mexican “Alegria” is a confection in which Amaranth seeds are popped and mixed with sugar syrup.

Another Mexcian drink is the Atole made with milled roasted Amaranth grain. Peruvians make an Andean beer Chicha; Nepal and parts of North India make Satto, a kind of porridge.

It is just incredible, that one set of people in the world know it as a form of spinach, another know it as a miracle grain, yet others eat its stalk and another makes beer while some only know it as an ornamental plant blissfully unaware of its edible nature!

KITCHEN PHARMACY

The amaranth seed is high in protein and contains essential amino acids not commonly found in other grains. It is high in fiber and contains calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C. The fiber and iron content of amaranth is significantly higher than that of wheat.

Using amaranth in combination with corn or brown rice results in a complete protein similar to that found in fish, red meat, or poultry. Amaranth consists of 6-10 percent oil which is predominantly unsaturated fat and is high in linoleic acids.

The grain has potential use as a source of squalene oil, a fatty compound often used in vaccines.
It is the only grain documented to contain Vitamin C.
It is a naturally gluten-free grain.
Amaranth oil “could be of significant benefit for patients with CVD” (cardiovascular disease).

“The combination of amaranth and maize flour (50:50) nearly reaches the perfect score of 100 on the nutritionist’s scale and also the combination of amaranth and wheat flour increases the nutritional value of baked products”(2) (National Academy of Sciences 1984; Saunders, Becker 1984; Bressani 1989; Joshi, Rana 1991; SeguraNieto et al 1994; Grobelnik Mlakar et al 2009).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Originating in the Americas and Europe, Amaranth (from Greek for “never-fading flower”) has been cultivated for more than 8,000 years, dating back at least to the Mayan civilization of South and Central America.

The largest area ever grown was during the height of the Aztec civilization in Mexico during the 1400s. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico in the early 1500s, Amaranth almost disappeared in the Americas as a crop until research began on it in the US in the 1970s.

The largest producers today are the USA, South America, India, China, and Russia. The heightened awareness of the crop’s nutritive values and its versatility is likely to trigger a major resurgence for Amaranth globally.

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Quinoa

Quinoa has twice the amount of fibers than other grains

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GEEK TALK

Chenopodium quinoa

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Goosefoot, Qin-wah & Bathua

DID YOU KNOW?

Quinoa, pseudo-grain, is mainly grown for its edible seeds. It is a “superfood”, considered as the most nutritious grain in the world and considered by the Incas to be “the mother of all grains.” The Incas began to cultivate quinoa over 5,000 years ago believing that it gave power and stamina to their warriors.

Quinoa can be classified according to its saponin concentrations as either “sweet” (saponin free or having less than 0.11% saponins) or “bitter” (containing more than 0.11% saponins).

The saponins in Quinoa represent the major anti-nutritional factor found in the grain. However, most of these saponins are concentrated in the outer layers of the grain, which facilitates their removal industrially by abrasive dehulling or traditionally by washing the grains with water.

2013 was recognized as “The International Year of the Quinoa” by the FAO and it had declared quinoa as a food with “high nutritive value” having an important role to play in the achievement of food security worldwide.

“While no single food can supply all the essential life-sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”

NASA has proposed as an ideal food for long-duration space flights.

In times of drought, when other crops in quinoa-growing areas fail, quinoa can actually increase its yields. The crop can thrive on as little as three to four inches of annual rainfall.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

In comparison to wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat. The processes of boiling, simmering, and steaming quinoa do not appear to significantly compromise the quality of quinoa’s fatty acids, allowing us to enjoy its cooked texture and flavor while maintaining this nutrient benefit.

It is naturally gluten-free, making it an excellent food for celiac patients or for people following a gluten-free diet.
It contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains.
It is high in Riboflavin (B2), which helps improve energy metabolism and helps create proper energy production.
Quinoa is now used for organic pasta, soft drinks, baby food, vodka, pet food, and cosmetics, etc.
It is a complete protein containing all amino acids. Quinoa is a very good source of antioxidant-promoting manganese and a good source of heart-healthy magnesium, folate, and fiber, as well as bone-building phosphorus and copper.

RECIPES USING THIS INGREDIENT

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Maize

Maize helps in weight loss, lowers cholesterol, and boosts immune system

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GEEK TALK

Zea Mays

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Corn, Turkey Wheat, Teosinthe & Choclo

DID YOU KNOW?

Maize, a member of the grass family is a grain and one of the important foods, green forage and industrial crops of the world. Together with rice and wheat, maize provides at least 30% of the food calories of more than 4.5 billion people in 94 countries.

It is known as ‘Queen of Cereal’. The grains are rich in vitamins A, C and E, carbohydrates, and essential minerals, and contain 9% protein.

They are also rich in dietary fiber and calories which are a good source of energy.

Maize has a composition of several colored pigments collectively known as carotenoids which are converted to vitamin A by normal metabolic processes in the body.

Vitamin A is very important to human health, but most especially for vision, and as an antioxidant. Therefore maize can be especially important to people who cannot get fresh vegetables year-round.

The term “maize” is derived from the ancient word ‘mahiz’ from the Taino language of the indigenous people of pre-Columbian America. Columbus and other explorers took maize back to Europe with them and it spread across the trade routes of Europe, Africa and Asia in the 1500s and 1600s.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

The high-fiber content in maize helps in losing weight and lowering cholesterol levels.
It also helps keep the digestive system regular.
Maize is rich in folate which helps in the generation of new cells, especially important during pregnancy.
Maize promotes the function of the gall bladder and reduces stomach acidity and all the nutrients in the grain boost our immune system.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Maize is now grown in all countries except Antarctica and under a more varied range of climates than any other cereal crops.

The world’s top producers of maize are the USA, China, Brazil, Mexico & Indonesia. Maize has the highest yield/ha among the cereal crops. Africa consumes around 30% of the total maize produced in the world.

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Rice

Rice is widely consumed and is a staple food in many countries

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GEEK TALK

Oryza sativa

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Arroz, Paddy, Nel & Chawal

DID YOU KNOW?

Rice (Paddy), a cereal grain, is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia and the West Indies.

It is the grain with the second-highest worldwide production, after maize. It provides more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species.

The nutrition value of rice varies based on varieties such as white, brown, black, red and purple rice and also how the rice is polished or processed, the manner it is enriched, and how it is prepared before consumption.

Rice husk constitutes the largest by-product of rice milling has a considerable fuel value for a variety of possible industrial uses mostly as boiler fuel.

Rice bran is the most valuable by-product of the rice milling industry. It is obtained from the outer layers of the brown rice during milling. It is a very nutritional product containing a mixture of substances, including protein, fat, ash, and crude fiber.

It contains about 16% to 18% of oil and loaded with vitamin E components. It is exceptionally high in vitamin B, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

After the husk is removed the remaining product is called brown rice. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice.

The protein in brown rice has one of the most complete essential amino acid profiles of any vegetable crop. The rice bran layer of brown rice also contains digestible fiber as well as minerals and vitamins not found in milled rice.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

Long used as a medicinal herb for digestion problems such as stomach aches and chest pains, mint also has many uses medicinally.
Mint is believed to help reduce congestion due to its strong aroma and many say it helps asthmatics.
Lastly, mint has even proven to be a quality insect repellent.

RECIPES USING THIS INGREDIENT

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Wheat

Wheat began civilizations and protects the human body.

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GEEK TALK

Triticum vulgare

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Wheat, Trigo & Gehun, Godimai

DID YOU KNOW?

Wheat is probably the oldest example of hybridization in agriculture. It is a cross between 3 different species of grass.

The human ability almost 10,000 years ago to cultivate wheat probably resulted in the development of human communities and ended the peripatetic hunter-gatherer existence of man.

More land is used for wheat cultivation than any other crop, though in terms of production it is second only to Corn (Maize).

World trade in wheat is greater than for all other crops combined. Globally, wheat is the leading source of vegetable protein in human food, having a higher protein content than soybeans or the other major cereals, maize (corn) or rice.

These items on a food label indicate the presence of wheat: durum, semolina, maida, farina, bran, bulgur, graham, patent, wheat germ, thickener, and flour. Gluten, gliadin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, starch, and monosodium glutamate are also present in Wheat.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

The study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition describes the importance of whole wheat rather than refined to maintain healthy body weight.
Wheat bran contains phytochemicals such as phytic acid and lignins that have shown to inhibit in vitro and in vivo growth of mammary cancer.
The protective effect of wheat bran in breast carcinogenesis is greatest at the promotional phase when supplemented to a high-fat diet.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Wheat originated in Iraq, near the Tigris and Euphrates river valley, the “cradle of civilization”, thousands of years ago and has been grown in Canada for at least two centuries.

The Roman goddess, Ceres, who was deemed the protector of the grain, gave grains their common name today – “cereal.”

Top five producers of wheat are China, India, the Russian Federation, the US, and France. Dutch wheat farms are the most productive in terms of yield per hectare.

RECIPES USING THIS INGREDIENT

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