Grains and Cereals

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[Home]

Grains form the base of the Food Guide Pyramid, and nutritionists are constantly nagging us to eat more of them. Sure they're a bit bland, but they're high in nutrients, low in fat, and dirt cheap. Cooks usually consign grains to supporting roles, letting them absorb the flavors of other ingredients while adding texture and body. It often helps to toast grains briefly before cooking them so as to bring out the flavor and speed up the cooking time.

All-Purpose Flour: Bleached and unbleached versions of all-purpose flour can be used interchangeably, though bleached flour is whiter and has less vitamin E than unbleached. 1 pound equals 3 3/4 cups of unsifted flour, or 4 cups of sifted.
Amaranth: An ornamental plant with purple flowers, whose name has been given to a synthetic product used as a red colouring agent (E123). Amaranth was widely used to colour confectionery, pork products, cheese rind and fruits in syrup. suspected of being a carcinogen, it was prohibited in the USSR, then in North America and Sweden and finally, in 1977, in the EEC (except when used for cavair). These tiny ancient seeds have been cultivated in the Americas for several millennia. They are rich in protein and calcium, and have a pleasant, peppery flavour. One variety of amaranth is grown for its leaves, which are called Chinese spinach.
Barley: The earliest known cereal to be cultivated. Barley's been feeding humans for millennia, though it fell out of favor during the last one as people came to see it as low-brow peasant fare. Because it is low in gluten it is not usually used to make bread, although in former times barley was mixed with wheat to make a heavy and nourishing bread whick kept well. It's most often used in soups and stews, where it serves as both a puffy grain and a thickener, but it also makes a nice side dish or salad. At most markets, you'll have to choose between two types of barley. Hulled barley is the most nutritious, since only the tough outer hulls are polished off. Pearl barley is polished some more, so that the outer bran layer is also scrubbed off. It's less nutritious, but more popular since it's not as chewy as hulled barley and it cooks faster.
Barley Flakes: To make this, barley kernels are sliced, then rolled flat into flakes. Like rolled oats, rolled barley is usually served as a hot cereal. It takes about 30 minutes to cook.
Barley Grits: These are barley kernels that have been toasted, and then cracked into smaller pieces in order to speed up the cooking time. They are a bit hard to find. Some substitutes for barley grits would be buckwheat grits or hominy grits.
Basmati Rice: This aromatic, long grain rice is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and is especially popular in India. The cooked grains are dry and fluffy, so they make a nice bed for curries and sauces. Basmati is available as either white or brown rice. Brown basmati has more fiber and a stronger flavour, but it takes twice as long to cook. Aged basmati rice is better, but more expensive. One cup dried rice yields three cups cooked rice. Indian rice with very small but long grains, with a distinctive flavour. "Old" Basmati, which is rarely available, is much prized by Indians and Pakistanis. (See Recipe)
Bhutanese Red Rice: This red short grain rice is a staple in rural areas of Bhutan, a small kingdom nestled high in the Himalayas. It has a strong, nutty flavour and is best served with other assertive ingredients. It cooks much faster than brown rice.
Black Barley: This is similar to pearl barley, only it has a black exterior.
Black Forbidden Rice: This has short grains which turn a beautiful indigo when cooked.
Black Quinoa: Like ordinary quinoa, this cooks quickly, has a mild flavor, and a slightly crunchy texture. Rinse off its bitter coating before using.
Bran: This is the made from the outer husk of the grain, and it's a rich source of fiber. There are two types of fiber: insoluble fiber, which passes right through us undigested, and soluble fiber, which is digested by friendly bacteria in our intestines. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran and corn bran, and it's good for flushing out the intestines. Soluble fiber, found in oat bran, makes you feel full, so it's good for dieters. Bran is now added to many proprietary breakfast cereals and can be bought separately to sprinkle on at home. It can also be added to soups, stews, pastry and cakes during preparation.
Bread Flour: This flour has a high level of gluten, which gives bread more structure. Don't confuse it with gluten flour (also called vital wheat gluten), which is pure gluten and used as a bread additive or to make seitan.
Brown Rice: Many rice varieties come as either brown rice or white rice. Brown rice isn't milled as much as white, so it retains the bran and germ. That makes brown rice more fiber rich, nutritious, and chewy. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform as well as white rice in many recipes. Long grains of brown rice aren't as fluffy and tender, and short grains aren't as sticky. Brown rice also takes about twice as long to cook and has a much shorter shelf life (because of the oil in the germ). Keep it in a cool, dark place for not more than three months. Refrigeration can extend shelf life. (See Recipe)
Buckwheat: Buckwheat is loaded with nutrients, especially protein, and it has a nutty, earthy flavour. It's most commonly ground into a dark, gritty flour and used to make everything from pancakes to soba noodles. Eastern Europeans also like their buckwheat crushed into small groats, which they toast in oil and use to make side dishes and breakfast cereals.
Buckwheat Grits: These are finely ground buckwheat groats that cook very quickly. They are commonly used as a breakfast cereal. Substitute barley grits pr hominy grits for buckwheat grits.
Buckwheat Groats: These are buckwheat kernels that are stripped of their inedible outer coating and then crushed into smaller pieces. Unprocessed white groats are slightly bitter, so before you cook them it's a good idea to toast them in oil for several minutes until they're rust-coloured. This removes the bitterness and brings out a pleasant, nutty flavour. If you don't want to do this yourself, you can buy already roasted groats, called kasha.
Bulgur: One cup of dry bulgur yields about 3 cups of cooked bulgur. Bulgur is made from whole wheat that's been soaked and baked to speed up the cooking time. It's especially popular in the Middle East, where it's used to make tabouli and pilafs. Bulgur comes either whole, or cracked into fine, medium, or coarse grains.
Cake Flour:
Converted Rice; Parboiled Rice: This is a good compromise between nutritious brown rice and tender, fast cooking white rice. Converted rice is steamed before it's husked, a process that causes the grains to absorb many of the nutrients from the husk. When cooked, the grains are more nutritious, firmer, and less clingy than white rice grains.
Cracked Wheat: These are cracked whole wheat kernels. They cook faster than wheat berries, but not as fast as bulgur.
Durum Wheat: Durum is the hardest of all wheats. Its density, combined with its high protein content and gluten strength, make durum the wheat of choice for producing premium pasta products. Pasta made from durum is firm with consistent cooking quality. Durum kernels are amber-colored and larger than those of other wheat classes. Also unique to durum is its yellow endosperm, which gives pasta its golden hue. When durum is milled, the endosperm is ground into a granular product called semolina. A mixture of water and semolina forms a stiff dough. Pasta dough is then forced through dies, or metal discs with holes, to create hundreds of different shapes.
Farina: "Cream of Wheat" is a popular brand.
Flakes: These are grains that are steamed, rolled, and flaked. They can be cooked briefly to make a hot cereal, sprinkled on casseroles, or added to granola mixes, cookies, or soups.
Flour: Flours are made from grains or nuts that are finely ground to a powdery consistency. They are used to make breads and other baked goods, but they also serve to thicken stews and sauces and to coat foods that are about to be fried.
Germ: This is the exceptionally nutritious embryo found within the grain kernel. It contains oil, so it has a relatively short shelf life. Many cooks store small jars of it in the refrigerator, and use small amounts of it to fortify breads and cereals.
Gluten Flour: This is flour with the starch and bran removed. Don't confuse it with bread flour (high-gluten flour), which is gluten-fortified flour, or with gluten (seitan), a meat analogue used in vegetarian dishes. Pure gluten flour is usually added to regular flour to turn it into bread flour, or it's used to make seitan.
Glutinous Rice: Despite its name, this rice isn't sweet and it doesn't contain gluten. Instead, it is a very sticky, short-grain rice that is widely used by Asians, who use it to make sushi and various desserts. You can buy this as either white or black (actually a rust color) rice.
Grits: These are grains that have been cut into smaller pieces so they cook faster.
Hato Mugi: Look for these large, pressed barley kernels in Asian markets.
Himalayan Red Rice: This is a Himalayan version of our long grain brown rice, only the bran is red, not brown.
Hullaed Barley: This is the least processed form of barley, with just the outermost hull removed. While it's chewier and slower to cook than more processed forms of barley, it's rich in fiber and really good for you. Look for it in health food stores.
Instant Oats: These are very thin, precooked oats that need only be mixed with a hot liquid. They usually have flavourings and salt added. They are convenient, but not as chewy and flavourful as slower-cooking oats.
Instant Rice; Precooked Rice: This is white rice that's been precooked and dehydrated so that it cooks quickly. It's relatively expensive, though, and you sacrifice both flavour and texture. White instant rice cooks in about five minutes, brown in about ten. Minute Rice is a well-known brand.
Jasmine Rice: One cup dried rice yields three cups cooked rice. Jasmine rice is a long grain rice produced in Thailand that's sometimes used as a cheap substitute for basmati rice. It has a subtle floral aroma. It's sold as both a brown and white rice.
Kalijira Rice: This tiny aromatic rice is grown in Bangladesh. It cooks fast and is especially good in rice puddings.
Kasha: This is the Russian name for buckwheat groats that have been toasted in oil to remove buckwheat's natural bitterness and to bring out a sweeter, nuttier flavoru. They come whole or crushed into a coarse, medium, or fine grain. Substitute buckwheat groats (Untoasted groasts have a milder, more bitter flavour compared to kasha. You can convert them into kasha yourself by cooking them in oil until they're rust colored.) or rice.
Long-Grain Rice: Long-grain rice has slender grains that stay separate and fluffy after cooking, so this is the best choice if you want to serve rice as a side dish, or as a bed for sauces. American long-grain rice (which includes Carolina rice) has a somewhat bland flavour, and is what cookbooks usually have in mind when they call for long-grain rice. Patna rice is a mild rice grown in India. Basmati rice, another Indian import, has a nutty taste and goes well with many Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Jasmine rice is also aromatic, and usually less expensive than Basmati. It often accompanies Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Americans have crossed Basmati with American long-grain rice to get popcorn rice, which is milder and less expensive than basmati. Another hybrid is wild pecan rice, which retain most of the bran for a nutty, chewy flavour.
Matzo Meal: This includes matzo cake meal, which is a finer grind of matzo meal. To make your own: Grind broken matzos in a food processor (using a steel blade) until they are ground into a coarse flour. 3 matzos equals 1 cup matzo meal.
Meal: These are whole grains that are ground until they have the consistency of sand. They are then used to make hot cereals and breads. Stone-ground meal is ground between stones, giving it a grittier consistency.
Medium-Grain Rice: Medium-grain rice is shorter and stickier than long-grain rice. It's great for making paella and risotto.
Millet: Unhulled millet is widely used as birdseed, but many health food stores carry hulled millet for human consumption. It's nutritious and gluten-free, and has a very mild flavour that can be improved by toasting the grains.
Oats: A cereal used mainly as an animal feed (for horses and poultry), but also used for human food in the form of oatmeal. Oats are highly nutritious and filled with cholesterol-fighting soluble fiber. They also have a pleasant, nutty flavour. Most of us are familiar with rolled oats, which are used as a hot breakfast cereal and cookie ingredient, but many health food stores also stock oat groats and oat bran. Cultivated by the Romans and widely consumed in gruels by the Teutons and Guals, oats were, until the 19th century, a basic food in Scotland, Scandinavia, Germany and Brittany.
Oat Groats: Oat groats are minimally processed only the outer hull is removed. They are very nutritious, but they are chewy and need to be soaked and cooked a long time.
Pastry Flour: Look for this in health food stores and specialty shops. Substitute equal parts cake flour and all-purpose flour.
Pearl Barley: This is the most common form of barley, but not the most nutritious. While hulled barley loses only the thick outer hull in the milling process, pearl barley is stripped of the nutritious bran layer as well, leaving just the "pearl" inside. Despite this, it's still fairly nutritious. It takes about an hour to cook.
Pearled Grains: These are more processed than whole grains. This makes them less nutritious but they cook up faster and have a more tender texture.
Pinipig: Filipino cooks use these glutinous rice flakes to make desserts and drinks.
Popcorn Rice: This rice is a cross between basmati and American long-grain. Common brands include Texmati, Delta Rose, and Cajun Country Popcorn Rice.
Pot Barley: This isn't as heavily processed as pearl barley, in that the endosperm is left intact, along with the inner pearl of the kernel. It takes about an hour to cook. Look for it in health food stores.
Psyllium: This is a good source of soluble fiber, and is often used as a laxative. Make sure you drink lots of water along with it.
Puffed Rice: Look for this in Indian markets.
Quick-Cooking Barley: This is similar to pearl barley in taste and nutrients, but it only takes about 10 minutes to cook since it's been pre-steamed. It's often served either hot as a side dish or cold in a salad.
Quick Oats: These are thin flakes of oatmeal that cook up in about three or four minutes. They are a good choice for oatmeal cookies. Substitute rolled oats (More nutritious and chewy, takes longer to cook. If substituting rolled oats for quick oats in a cookie recipe, consider refrigerating the dough for 20 minutes before baking, otherwise the cookies may become too flat and thin) or instant oats (This contains additional flavorings, and is less chewy. It also takes less time to cook).
Quinoa: This ancient seed was a staple of the Incas. It cooks quickly and has a mild flavour and a delightful, slightly crunchy, texture. It's got a lot of the amino acid lysine, so it provides a more complete protein than many other cereal grains. It comes in different colors, ranging from a pale yellow to red to black. Rinse quinoa before using to remove its bitter natural coating.
Quinoa Flakes: This is steamed, rolled, and flaked quinoa. It is used like oatmeal to make a hot cereal. Substitutes quinoa flakes with rolled oats.
Rice: Rice is the most important food crop in Asia. It can be cooked whole and served with stir-fries, sauces, and curries, or made into flour, wine, cakes, vinegar, milk, flakes, noodles, paper, and tea. (More Information)
Risotto Rice: This plump white rice can absorb lots of water without getting mushy, so it's perfect for making risotto. The best comes from Italy. Arborio is very well regarded, but Carnaroli, Roma, Baldo, Padano, and vialone nano are also good. The highest Italian risotto rice grade is superfino. Lesser grades are (in descending order) fino, semi-fino, and commune. You can sometimes find brown risotto rice, which has more fiber and nutrients, but it isn't nearly as creamy as white risotto rice. Never rinse risotto rice, you'll wash off the starch that gives it such a creamy consistency. (See recipe)
Rolled Oats: These are oat groats that are steamed, rolled, and flaked so that they cook quickly. They are often cooked as a breakfast cereal, added raw to granola or muesli mixes, or used to make oatmeal cookies. Regular rolled oats take about five minutes to cook. If you are in a hurry, try quick oats or instant oats. These have thinner flakes, so they cook faster.
Rye: Rye isn't as nutritious as other grains, but it's hardy enough to grow in very cold climates. This has made it a staple of Northern Europeans, who use it to make breads, crackers, and whiskey. It has a distinctive, hearty flavor that's best when combined with other assertive ingredients.
Rye Berries: Soak these overnight before cooking. Soaked and cooked rye berries are sometimes added to breads for extra texture, or used to make pilafs or hot breakfast cereals.
Rye Flakes: These are often combined with other grains, then cooked to make a hot breakfast cereal. Substitute rolled oats or triticale flakes for rye flakes.
Self-Rising Flour: In older cookbooks it is called pancake flour. This is more commonly used in the South than in the North. Substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Short-Grain Rice: This is sticky, though not as much as glutinous rice. It is a good choice if you are making sushi or rice pudding, and it also works pretty well in a risotto or paella. Brown short-grain rice isn't as sticky.
Spanish Rice: This is a medium grain rice that's perfectly suited to making paella. Varieties include include Granza rice, and the highly regarded (but difficult to find) Valencia rice.
Spelt: An ancient variety of wheat with small brown grains that adhere strongly to the chaff; it is quite unlike modern varieties. Widely grown until the beginning of the 20th century, especially in upland regions of Germany, Switzerland and France, spelt is now rare. Its nutritional value is comparable with soft wheat and it does not need rich soil. A famous German bread is made with spelt and rye. After threshing, spelt is cooked like rice; it is an ingredient in certain country soups, especially in Provence.
Sprouting Barley: This is unrefined barley, used for making barley sprouts. Don't try to cook with it, it's got a very thick hull.
Steel-Cut Oats: These are groats that have been chopped into small pieces. They are chewier than rolled oats, and grain aficionados often prefer them for hot oatmeal cereals and muesli.
Teff: This Ethiopian staple is the world's smallest grain. Since it is too tiny to process, teff isn't stripped of nutrients like other, more refined grains. As a result, it is a nutritional powerhouse, especially rich in protein and calcium, and it is gluten-free. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and is sometimes eaten as a hot breakfast cereal. It comes in different colours that range from creamy white to reddish-brown.
Thai Purple Sticky Rice: This turns a rich dark purple when cooked. The colour bleeds, so it's best to pair it with other dark ingredients. Thai cooks often use it in the preparation of desserts.
Wehani Rice: This russet coloured rice is derived from basmati rice.
Wheat: Wheat's got a pleasant, nutty flavour and lots of nutrients, but it's prized most for being rich in gluten, the stuff that makes baked goods rise. Most wheat is ground into flour, but whole or cracked grains are used in pilafs and salads, and wheat flakes are made into hot cereals or granolas.
Wheat Berries: These are wheat kernels that have been stripped only of their inedible outer hulls. They are nutritious, but they take hours to cook. If you don't have the patience to use the whole berries, try the more convenient cracked wheat, bulgur, or wheat flakes.
Wheat Flakes: This is wheat that's been steamed, rolled, and flaked. Wheat flakes are often cooked as a hot cereal, or added raw to granola mixes.
Wheat Flour: Includes: (from hardest to softest flours) durum wheat flour and semolina flour (typically used for making pastas), whole wheat flour and graham flour (typically mixed with all-purpose or bread flour to make bread or baked goods), bread flour (typically used for making yeast breads), all-purpose flour (can be used for breads and baked goods), pastry flour (typically used for pastries), and cake flour (typically used for cakes).
White Rice: Most varieties of rice are processed into white rice at the mill, where the grains are scoured to remove the husk, bran, and part of the germ. This processing strips some of the nutrients, but make the rice tender and fast cooking. Many producers sell enriched white rice, which restores some of the nutrients. If well sealed, white rice can be stored almost indefinitely in a cool, dry place.
Wild Pecan Rice: This chewy, nutty-tasting hybrid contains neither wild rice nor pecans. It is only partially milled, so it retains some of the bran and has a nutty flavour.
Wild Rice: This isn't a rice, but rather a grass seed, the seed of an aquatic grass, related to the rice plant. The seeds grow one by one up the stalk and resemble little black sticks. It is very expensive and is sometimes mixed with brown rice. Compared to rice, it's richer in protein and other nutrients and has a more distinctive, nutty flavor. The downside is that it's more expensive than rice and takes longer to cook. It's especially good with poultry and game. Cultivated wild rice isn't as expensive, nor as flavorful as "wild" wild rice. (See recipe)
Whole Grains: These are grains that are either unprocessed or stripped only of their tough outer hulls. By themselves, whole grains are bland, so it's best to combine them with more assertive ingredients. It also helps to toast the grains before cooking them, this boosts their flavour and speeds up the cooking a bit.

Back To The Main Page

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws