The World of Ancient Grains
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160330_crave_april_pick_final.pdf 1 30-Mar-16 9:26:26 AM 58 THE WORLD OF What on earth are ancient grains, and why are we scouring the globe for them? Text by Tiffany Chan, photos by Samantha Sin Special thanks to city’super, Just Green and Spicebox Organics egend has it freekeh dates whole grains, such as teff, amaranth years. It’s what our sisters ate, what we to 2300 BC, when an ancient and millet, are naturally gluten-free eat every day,” she says. “Growing up, Mediterranean city’s crop of and their popularity has paralleled the we loved it. I didn’t love it because it has young, green wheat was burned rising interest in gluten-free cuisine.” fibre or calcium. We knew it was healthy, C under siege. The villagers salvaged the because that’s our source of nutrition.” L M wheat by rubbing off the scorched chaff As more and more people are and realised the grain underneath was becoming dissatisfied with the products For Tesega, there are obvious Y not only edible, but rather delicious. 6,000 of industrialised farming, they are advantages to popularising so-called CM years ago, kamut was a staple grain in looking to ancient civilisations and ancient grains: a newfound appreciation the Nile hinterland, but was lost until a monocultures for alternatives. for traditionally neglected cultures MY passionate wheat farmer from Montana (“It changes the story for Ethiopia, rescued it from extinction in the 1970s. “India has been steadily consuming doesn’t it?”), economic growth CY grains like amaranth, sorghum and and more diversified diets. But she CMY Ancient grains may be a recent addition millet, and Africa and other European doubts the benefits will outweigh to the modern vocabulary, but the countries also consume spelt and teff. the risks. Sustainability, first and K crops themselves are nothing new. With globalisation and information foremost, is a concern. High demand The term is vague and often problematic, available via technology, and more from overseas is driving up prices but loosely refers to grains that have occurrences of intolerance in digestion, and making these ancient staples too remained largely unchanged, such as more and more people are gaining expensive for people in countries quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet, barley and access to these grains and are that traditionally relied on them. black rice. They are grains with stories. happy to experiment to improve their diet,” Chopra says. “I worry about it being sustainable, if the Modern wheat is not the same as the wheat demand is so high,” she says. “[People] our ancestors ate thousands of years ago. The biggest success story so far has in Bolivia and Peru cannot afford to eat Punam Chopra, owner of speciality food been quinoa. In the past five years, it quinoa anymore – that was the source store Spicebox Organics, explains: “Ancient has appeared on restaurant menus, in of nutrition for them in their diet in the grains have been cultivated unchanged health stores and supermarket aisles the way teff is for us. People who chase since the beginning of agriculture; grains world over. A seed marketed as a “super ‘superfoods’ always have more choice. that have not changed by cross breeding grain”, quinoa is loaded with protein, If teff is not found today, they can go or through genetic modification.” fibre and amino acids. But in the past two to sorghum or millet for nutrition. But years, articles have appeared trumpeting other countries don’t have this, that’s why While the stories behind the grains’ origins new super grains: “Sorghum is the New they’re called ancient grains, because are compelling, their health benefits ‘Wonder Grain’,” or “Move over Quinoa, it’s been used for years and years.” are a significant part of the appeal, a New Superfood Grain is in Town”. In says Kelly Toups, programme manager the National Restaurant Association’s As wonderful as it is that we are becoming at Whole Grains Council in the US. 2016 Culinary Forecast, ancient grains more health-conscious, Tesega warns were named a top-15 food trend. there is another side to the story, too. “Many people have a general understanding that our modern food For Ethiopia-born Helina Tesega of Eat “Thirty years ago, people used to system isn’t exactly setting us up for Ethio, there’s nothing trendy about think, Ethiopia doesn’t have food, we nutritional success,” she says. “Unlike ancient grains. need to feed Ethiopia. But now, they refined white flour, ancient grains are left find out that we in Ethiopia not only largely intact, often maintaining all parts “Teff has been used in Ethiopia for eat every day, but we eat a superfood, of the original kernel [bran, germ and thousands of years. For us, it’s not an ancient too. And now Ethiopia is going to endosperm]. This means they offer the grain, a superfood, or gluten-free; it’s been feed the world gluten-free, superfood health benefits of whole grains. Many engrained in our culture for thousands of products. It’s ironic, isn’t it?” 60 THE WORLD OF 1. COUSCOUS 7. BULGUR A North African staple, couscous is not a grain, Called arisah in the Bible by ancient but coarsely ground granules of semolina Babylonians, Hittites and Jews, bulgur has been flour. Technically a pasta, it can be cooked and a staple for thousands of years and is often eaten as a grain. With little flavour of its own, called Middle Eastern pasta. Made from pre- couscous soaks up flavours easily and is a great cooked wheat berries, its nutty, chewy texture accompaniment for vegetable and meat dishes. makes an ideal substitute for meat in dishes It is delicious simply tossed with herbs, lemon such as burgers or meatloaf. Its relatively low zest and toasted pine nuts. glycemic level makes it a good rice or pasta 6 substitute for those watching sugar levels. 2. SORGHUM 12 Originally from Africa, sorghum appeared some 8. BLACK JAPONICA RICE Black japonica rice was first cultivated in 8,000 years ago in southern Egypt. Largely 8 China, where it was traditionally considered neglected in the West where it was mostly fed the finest rice and reserved solely for the to animals or used for packing materials, lately emperor, hence its nickname “forbidden it has been popping up on restaurant menus rice”. The dark, long-grain rice is mixed with everywhere. Versatile and eco-friendly, sorghum 9 mahogany rice and turns a dark, metallic purple takes a third less water to grow than corn. It is after cooking. With a hearty, chewy interior, the gluten-free and rich in antioxidants and proteins. 3 rice is slightly sweet, nutty and earthy, and since its recent introduction to the US it has quickly 3. BARLEY won a following. One of the oldest cultivated grains, barley was a staple in ancient Egypt (mummies have been 1 9. MILLET found wearing barley necklaces), Greece and No, it’s not birdseed. Newly trendy in the West, Rome. With about 17 per cent fibre, it is said to millet played a prominent role in early Chinese be the most fibrous whole grain. There are two agriculture. Dating back almost 7,500 years in common varieties: hulled barley and pearl barley. north China, it is still a staple in Asia and Africa. For the first, the outer husk is removed but the Naturally nutty, crunchy and nutrient-rich, millet bran layer is left intact; for the second, both husk comes in numerous varieties, including pearl, and bran are removed. Today, barley is mostly 11 foxtail, proso, finger and fonio. Gluten-free, it used to make malt whisky and beer. Try using can be ground into flour. pearl barley in a risotto or to thicken a soup. 5 10. BUCKWHEAT 4. FARRO A “false grain” that is neither a grain nor wheat, Originating in ancient Egypt, farro is also known buckwheat is a fruit seed closely related to as emmer or pharaoh’s wheat. Emmer wheat rhubarb. Originating in northeast Asia, it was was one of the first strains to be domesticated first cultivated as early as 6000 BC and was in the Middle East’s “fertile crescent” and was one of the first crops introduced to America later served as a staple to the Roman legions from Europe. High in protein, this versatile before being replaced by durum wheat. Today, crop is used for buckwheat galettes in France, farro is commonly used in Italy to make quality buckwheat soba in Japan, and kasha varnishkes pastas and risottos. 2 in Russia. 4 10 11. WHEATBERRIES 5. QUINOA Wheatberries are the whole-grain form of In the past few years, we have grown to know wheat before any refinement or processing. and love quinoa. Native to the Andes, and Wheat flour, for instance, is made from milled cultivated in Central and South America for and ground wheatberries. Containing gluten more than 5,000 years, quinoa was considered and the nutritional content of a whole grain, sacred by the Incas, and translates as “mother” wheatberries give a crunchy texture to dishes. in Quechua Indian. Slightly crunchy, fluffy, To cook, wheatberries must be simmered in a gluten-free and nutritious with all nine essential pot of water over low heat for 60 to 90 minutes. amino acids, it’s no wonder quinoa has become so popular in salads and stews. 12. TEFF A reliable, resistant staple in Ethiopia for 6. AMARANTH thousands of years, teff is used in Ethiopia’s Amaranth was a staple crop of the Aztecs until beloved sour and spongy flatbread, injera.