Millet

Millet was cultivated in Northern China as far back as 4500 BCE. It was the basic grain of the region, while rice was the basic grain of the south. Millet was considered one of the sacred crops, cultivated and stored indoors during the severe winters of the north. People had discovered that millet keeps very well in storage.

According to Marco Polo, during the reign of Kahn, people cooked millet in milk into a sort of porridge, and in Northern India, millet was used to make roti, a flat bread which is still eaten today.

Millet made its way to the middle East, North Africa and Egypt. It was mostly eaten as a gruel, but by then, the Egyptians were making the first attempts at raising bread dough, by mixing millet and grape juice and allowing it to ferment.

There are about 6,000 varieties of millet, varying in colors from yellows, whites to grays . Millet will add nutrient value and crunchy texture to breads and muffins. Just keep in mind that it contains no gluten.

Millet will also improve vegetable stews.