Other Grains Category

These tiny ancient seeds have been cultivated in the Americas for several millennia. They're rich in protein and calcium, and have a pleasant, peppery flavor. One variety of amaranth is grown for its leaves, which are called Chinese spinach.

Black fonio is a grain similar to fonio (white fonio). It is also important in the dryer areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Like ordinary quinoa, this cooks quickly, has a mild flavor, and a slightly crunchy texture. Rinse off its bitter coating before using.

Fonio is a grass similar to millet. It is an important grain in the dry areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

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 flavor that can be improved by toasting the grains.

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.

This ancient seed was a staple of the Incas. It cooks quickly and has a mild flavor 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.

This is steamed, rolled, and flaked quinoa. It's used like oatmeal to make a hot cereal.

This Ethiopian staple is the world's smallest grain. Since it's too tiny to process, teff isn't stripped of nutrients like other, more refined grains. As a result, it's a nutritional powerhouse, especially rich in protein and calcium, and it's gluten-free. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and is sometimes eaten as a hot breakfast cereal. It comes in different colors that range from creamy white to reddish-brown.