Grains

Grains, or cereals (from Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture), are the seeds of cultivated grasses. They contain the plant's embryo and with it a package of concentrated nutrients to support the new plant's growth. Because these nutrients can be stored for long periods, grains form the staple diet for most of the world's population.

Grains brought about a radical change in our evolution. Ten thousand years ago, man was a nomadic huntergatherer, continually in search of new food supplies. The discovery of grains and their subsequent cultivation gave rise to a more settled way of life as primitive tribes were now able to store food for long periods.

In descending order of world production, grains consist of wheat, rice, corn (maize), millet, sorghum, barley, oats and rye. There are also less well-known but highly nutritious grains such as amaranth and quinoa. Buckwheat is not a true grain, but as it is used in the same way it is usually classified as one.

A typical cereal grain consists of four main parts:
I The germ, which is the actual seed or embryo from which new growth starts.
2 The endosperm, a white starchy part which forms the bulk of the grain. Most of the carbohydrate and protein is stored here ready to provide the new plant with food when it starts to grow.
3 Bran, the protective outer layer.
4 The aleurone layer, a thin protective outer layer between the endosperm and the bran, which is a concentrated store of nutrients.
Barley, oats and rice are covered with an indigestible hull or husk, which has to be removed before these grains can be used as food. Wheat, rye and maize do not have a husk and are known as naked or free threshing grains.

The benefits of grains
Grains are a rich source of carbohydrate, which our bodies need for energy. Grains also contain important amounts of protein, fibre, B-group vitamins, vitamin E and essential minerals. But the presence of phytic acid in some grains may interfere with the absorption of these minerals.

Although grains are an important source of protein, they have one drawback. Unlike protein from animal sources, the protein in grains (and other seeds such as pulses) is 'incomplete'it is deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids which make up 'complete' protein. However, we can balance our plant protein intake by combining in the diet different types of seeds. For instance, by eating a grain with a pulse the amino acids deficient in the grain are provided by those present in the pulse. The Mexican diet of corn and beans, Indian dishes based on rice and dhal (split peas) or even baked beans on toast are all examples of this.

Grains which are used whole have the greatest nutritional value, because they retain all the nutrients from the bran and the germ.

Wheat flour
For most of us, the majority of the grain we eat is in foods made from flour. Cakes, biscuits, bread, pastry - most are made from milled wheat grains. Wholemeal flour still has much of the bran and germ (and nutrients) left in it, while white flour has had all the bran and germ removed. Some manufacturers used to bleach white flour to make it look 'cleaner' but now most millers leave it unbleached.

By law, manufacturers must enrich white flours with vitamin B1 (thiamin), B3 (niacin) and iron. They must also add calcium to all flours except wholemeal and certain self-raising flours. This is because white flour has very little nutrition due to it (quite obviously) being removed!

Self-raising flour is flour with raising agents (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate) added. Strong flour is flour milled from hard wheat, which is better for baking bread.

Storage
Store grains in airtight jars in a cool, dark place, where they will be ready to use.
Whole grains contain the germ and so have a higher proportion of oil than refined grains. The oil can become rancid if the grains are incorrectly stored. Kept in a sealed container away from heat, light and moisture, they should stay fresh for a year or two. However, grains that have been processed begin to lose their nutrients and flavour much sooner. Use them within three to six months.

Using grains in cooking
Food made with grains doesn't have to be heavy and boring. Grains provide plenty of different tastes and textures and there is a huge variety of ways to serve them. Widen your range by using the less well-known grains and flours.

Grains are simple to prepare. Just rinse in several changes of water to get rid of surface starch and impurities, then put in boiling water and simmer until tender and chewy but not mush) They'll be tastier if the cooking water has flavour - add some herbs or use meat or vegetable stocks. Serve then as a vegetable, in place of potatoes, with casseroles, or allow them to cool and add freshly chopped tomatoes, peppers and cucumber to make a satisfying and unusual salad dish.

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE
Although wheat is our basic staple food, some people are sensitive to gluten and suffer from a condition known as coeliac disease. It causes damage to the intestinal villi.

People who suffer from coeliac disease are unable to digest certain foods properly, particularly fat. This results in frequent and copious bowel movements and, in children, failure to grow and thrive. The condition can also lead to anaemia, rickets and osteomalacia. Some babies are born with this sensitivity although they usually lose it after a few months or years. For this reason many baby foods are free of gluten-containing items.

The condition improves if a gluten-free diet is followed. This means avoiding the obvious sources of gluten such as breakfast cereals, bread and pasta but also homemade and manufactured food items to which flour is often added. These include sauces, pie fillings, cakes, stock cubes, cheap chocolate, mustard and salad dressings. Fortunately, gluten-free products are now labelled and the number of such products is increasing.

GRAIN GLOSSARY

WHEAT
This is one of the oldest and most widely cultivated plant foods. It contains a protein called gluten
the chemical properties.of which make wheat the perfect cereal for bread production. There are many different types of wheat. The protein content varies between seven and 20 per cent, depending on the growing conditions and whether the wheat is soft or hard. Soft wheat has a low protein content and thus contains little gluten. The flour is used for pastry, cakes and biscuits. Hard wheat flour, with its high gluten content, is used for bread. An even harder variety, durum wheat, is used for pasta.

Whole wheat berries or grains are the most nutritious form of wheat. When cooked, they have a rich flavour and are pleasantly chewy. Eat them on their own, or in salads, soups, stews and stuffings.

Cracked or kibbled wheat has been roughly milled and cooks more quickly than whole wheat grains.

Bulgar wheat has been cracked, steamed and roasted, and requires little further cooking. Some of the bran is lost in the process. It plays an important part in the Middle Eastern diet, where it forms the basis of dishes such as kibbeh and tabouleh.

Wheat flakes are flattened and lightly toasted whole wheat grains. Try them raw as a cereal or cooked like oats to make a porridge.

Wheat bran is a useful source of fibre, which can be added to breakfast cereal, but you shouldn't need this if you eat a healthy diet with whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

Wheat germ contains the bulk of wheat protein and is rich in vitamin E. Eat it raw or use it to enrich bread and cakes.

Semolina is made from the starchy endosperm of the grain and is milled to a fine, medium or coarse meal. Fine semolina is used for puddings or Italian gnocchi.

Couscous is made from coarse semolina while durum wheat semolina is used for making pasta. Flour is the result of removing the germ and bran from whole wheat grains. It is then milled to produce flours.

White flour has had all of the germ and bran removed.

Wholemeal flour refers to wheat flour which has had nothing added or removed.


BUCKWHEAT
First cultivated in China and introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, buckwheat is particularly popular in Russia. It has a strong flavour and is best mixed with other grains and strongly flavoured foods. It is particularly high in potassium, calcium, iron and vitamin B3 so it's worth adding it to your diet. You may be able to buy whole grains or buckwheat flour.


OATS
This grain grows well in cool, wet conditions. It has a higher fat and protein content than many other grains and so tends to become rancid more quickly. The protein contains little gluten, so oats are suitable only for porridge or dense cakes. It is a good source of calcium and iron. Whole oat grains are called groats. They are rarely used because they take a long time to cook.

Oat bran contains a lot of soluble fibre and is a useful addition to baked foods. Oat­based breakfast cereals make a healthy start to the day.

Oat flakes come in different sizes: jumbo oats are the largest while porridge or rolled oats are smaller and more versatile. Oatmeal comes in three grades. The coarsest, pinhead , is best soaked before using in porridge, soups or stews. Medium and fine oatmeal are used in bread and pastry.


RICE
This is the principal food for about half the world's population. It originated in Asia. It's an excellent source of B vitamins and vitamin E. It's a good source of carbohydrate but contains less protein than other cereals. Rice and rice products are indispensable in a gluten-free diet.

Long grain rice has separate grains and is often used in Indian cooking. Short grain is softer and stickier and is used in Chinese and Japanese cooking.

Brown rice is the most nutritious. It is full of flavour and is delicious with most savoury dishes. White rice is polished to remove the bran and the germ. This practice has led to diseases such as beri-beri in areas where people have little else to eat. The best­tasting type is basmati white rice. A bay leaf in the cooking water improves the flavour.

Rice flakes are made from both brown and white rice and are usually toasted. They are useful in gluten-free muesli and for thickening soups or stews.

Rice flour contains no gluten and is used mainly for thickening or as an ingredient in gluten-free bread.

Wild rice, a distant relative of ordinary rice, is native to the US. The Indians gathered it by hand but it's now grown commercially. It's difficult to cultivate so it is very expensive. The grains contain more protein than ordinary rice and are especially rich in lysine, the amino acid which most grains lack.


BARLEY
A staple food in the Middle East, in the West barley is used mainly as an animal food and for brewing.

Pot or Scotch barley is the whole grain. Nutritionally, pot barley compares well with other grains and is a good source of niacin. Containing very little gluten, barley can be used only for flat breads.

Pearl barley is polished to remove all the bran. It is also available as flakes .


CORN
Grown since 3500BC in Central America, corn or maize is the basic food for many American cultures. It is deficient in two important amino acids, so it should be eaten with compensating foods. In addition, much of the vitamin B3 contained in corn is unavailable to the human body. Pellagra (meaning `rough skin') was at one time a well-known vitamin deficiency among people who relied on corn as a staple food. The main types of corn are dent corn (which is ground into cornmeal and cornflour) and sweetcorn.

Cornmeal is sieved to remove some of the bran. It contains little gluten but has a pleasantly mild taste and a granular texture. It can be used in cakes or puddings, boiled and served with a sauce, or fried in strips. Polenta (28) is similar to cornmeal and is used in Italy.

Cornflour has had all the germ and bran removed. It isn't as nutritious as cornmeal but it's a useful thickening agent.

Popcorn is made from a type of dent corn with a hard endosperm which bursts on heating. It has little nutritional value.

Sweetcorn is too soft to be ground into flour so is used as a vegetable. It has a higher protein content than most other vegetables.


RYE
Originally thought of as a weed, rye tolerates cold climates and poor soil. It's popular in Scandinavia, Germany and Russia. It is a good source of B vitamins, vitamin E and potassium. Because of its low gluten content, rye flour makes very heavy bread with a distinctive sour taste. Rye crispbread is good if you're counting calories - its moisture-binding capacity means it swells in the stomach giving the feeling of fullness. Whole rye grains have a slightly bitter flavour when cooked and combine well in stews with sweetish root vegetables.

Cracked rye and rye flakes are used in the same way as wheat but they have a stronger flavour.


MILLET and SORGHUM
These are used mainly as animal feed in the West but form an important part of the diet in many tropical countries. They are particularly rich sources of iron and good sources of B vitamins. Use them as an alternative to rice and try millet flakes as a breakfast cereal.


AMARANTH
Once a sacred food of the Aztecs, this ancient protein-rich plant survives in arid regions and is valued for its massive seed heads and nutritious leaves.


QUINOA
Like Amaranth, quinoa has been grown for thousands of years in Central America, where it is known as the food of the Incas. It is now being grown more widely and is available in health food shops. Use it like rice.