Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [13]
About 120,000 rice varieties are known to exist, according to the International Rice Research Institute. In the United States, more than one hundred different kinds of rice are commercially grown, with Arkansas and California the top producers. Rice can come in many varieties and colors, ranging from black and purple to brownish red or red. The grain is easy to digest and available in short-, medium-, and long-grain varieties—with short-grain and medium-grain releasing more of the starch amylopectin during cooking and thus becoming stickier. Long-grain varieties, by contrast, contain more of the starch amylose and turn out fluffy with distinct separate kernels. While some kinds of rice are called glutinous, this term is confusing, as rice does not contain any gluten.
Brown rice, ever so slightly chewy and more aromatic than refined white rice, is a whole grain with the bran and the germ intact. Other rice varieties are available today in their whole unrefined state, such as Bhutanese red rice or Chinese black rice. Indian brown basmati rice with its mesmerizing aroma is another delicious example (the word basmati does mean fragrant). Brown kalijira, a rice from Bangladesh, is an interesting variety for whole grain lovers as its small grains cook up relatively fast. Don’t hesitate to try the various kinds in your cooking (for sources).
RYE
Rye is another latecomer to mankind’s nutrition compared to other major grains, such as wheat or barley. It was probably first cultivated about 3000 BC. Pliny describes the growth of rye in the Alps in the first century BC, and calls it “unpleasant to the stomach,” fit only for the very hungry. A disease in rye called ergot can cause hallucinations in those who consume grains infected with the highly toxic fungus. Some historians blame rye ergot for triggering hallucinations leading to the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692. Today in industrialized countries, the swollen black or purple lumps of diseased rye are sieved out after threshing.
Because rye can grow in cold, wet climates, it was the major bread-making grain in northern Europe for centuries, and it remains popular to this day also in eastern Europe and Russia (see also “Rye: Tangy and Surprisingly Sweet”). Germans have long enjoyed dense, dark whole grain rye loaves and the Russians their black bread, while in Poland and Sweden lighter, paler rye breads are preferred.
Slender whole rye kernels have a distinct grayish-green hue and an appealing subtle tanginess, a terrific grain to add to your table. Rye also contains a type of fiber that makes you feel full fast—great for anyone hoping to lose a few pounds.
PUMPERNICKEL FLOUR AND DARK RYE FLOUR Both of these are whole grain flours milled from whole rye berries, with pumpernickel flour typically being a coarser grind, perfect for traditional pumpernickel bread. Light rye flour is processed, with the bran and the germ removed. Rye flour does not contain much gluten, the protein that helps wheat bread rise and contributes to its fine elastic texture. To help rye bread rise, it has traditionally been leavened with sourdough, because yeast alone doesn’t produce desirable results. Rye flour adds a slight stickiness to bread, which comes from a natural gum in the grain—it also keeps rye bread moist longer.
WHEAT BERRIES
WHEAT AND ITS FAMILY
Wheat is one of the oldest domesticated grains, along with barley, millet, and rice. It is now the most widely cultivated cereal around the globe, exceeding even rice. Domestic cultivation of wheat has been documented at least since 9000 BC. The popularity of wheat has to do with its high content of gluten—a protein—which helps bread rise and is responsible for its elastic texture. Throughout history, wheat was highly cherished and used by the rich, while the