Grain glossary
A starter course on cooking with whole grains.
By JANET K. KEELER
Published March 30, 2005
BARLEY
Most is pearled to remove the inedible outer hull and some of the bran, yet is still considered whole grain because some bran remains. Scotch (or pot) barley has been only partly pearled; hulled barley has had the hull removed but has not been pearled.
Taste: Honeyed, chewy, starchy, rugged.
How to use: Add barley to bean soups or meaty vegetable soups, or steam, toss with butter and parsley, and serve as a side dish for lamb. Pearled barley takes 35 to 40 minutes to soften; scotch barley about one hour. Hulled barley may take two hours.
1 cup cooked pearl barley has 193 calories, 1g fat, 4g protein, 44g carbohydrates, 4g fiber.
BUCKWHEATBuckwheat is the seed of a plant related to rhubarb. The whole form minus the hull is known as groats; when dry-roasted, buckwheat groats become kasha, which has a hearty, earthy, roasted taste and a relatively heavy texture. Buckwheat is also made into flour.
Taste: Could be called anchovy of grain world; pungent, meaty and earthy.
How to use: Steam kasha with sauteed onions, then toss with bow tie noodles to make kasha varnishkes. Add Japanese buckwheat noodles (soba) to soup or eat cold with a soy-based sipping sauce.
1 cup cooked buckwheat groats has 155 calories, 1g fat, 6g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 5g fiber.
CORNThe whole dried corn kernel does not have bran per se, but it does have a thin skin that provides some fiber and a nutritious germ. Both are usually removed before the corn is ground to make cornmeal, grits and polenta. Look for stone-ground whole grain cornmeal to get the full nutritional benefit. Whole grain cornmeal and grits turn rancid quickly at room temperature and should be refrigerated. Posole (whole dried corn) and popcorn are both whole grain. So are corn tortillas.
Taste: Sweet, milky, light.
How to use: Use whole grain cornmeal in pancakes and corn bread. Add posole to soups and stews.
1 cup whole grain cornmeal has 442 calories, 4g fat, 10g protein, 94g carbohydrates, 9g fiber.
MILLETTiny, golden pearls of millet look like birdseed, which is where most domestic harvest goes. But millet deserves a place on the human table, too. It takes only about 15 minutes to steam.
Taste: Milky, creamy, sweet.
How to use: Enjoy cooked millet for breakfast with butter whipped with honey. For a savory side dish, steam millet in water or stock, then season with green onions, butter and freshly ground black pepper. Add cooked millet to meatloaf or stir-fry it with egg, diced ham and green onions, like fried rice.
1 cup cooked millet has 207 calories, 2g fat, 6g protein, 41g carbohydrates, 2g fiber.
OATSAvailable whole (sometimes called groats), steel-cut (a coarse cut) or rolled into flakes, oats are a whole grain in any format. Even quick-cooking and instant oats retain the bran and germ.
Taste: Soft, comforting, rich.
How to use: Enjoy steel-cut oats for breakfast; they have a more satisfying, chewy texture than rolled oats and take about 30 minutes to cook. Add dried fruit, such as raisins, apples or dates. Oat groats can be steamed like rice; they take about 45 minutes.
1 cup cooked steel-cut oats has 155 calories, 1g fat, 6g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 5g fiber.
QUINOAQuinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) thrives at high altitudes and, rare among grains, it provides complete protein. It is from a plant related to beets and chard. Quinoa is small, round and pale, resembling large sesame seeds. It must be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to rid it of a bitter residue.
Taste: Milky, nutty, almost like peanut butter, and crunchy.
How to use: Dress steamed quinoa with butter, salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper and serve as a side dish for any stew. Most recipes call for too much water - use 1 part water to 1 part quinoa. Steam for 15 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes.
1 cup cooked quinoa has 256 calories, 8g fat, 12g protein, 34g carbohydrates, 8g fiber.
RICEBrown rice is a whole grain, as are the exotic red and black rices that have begun showing up in markets in recent years. Lundberg Family Farms markets several varieties.
Taste: Earthy, starchy, tender.
How to use: Make extra and stir-fry leftover brown rice with cooked vegetables and bits of chopped leftover meat. Add brown rice to a brothy vegetable soup. Brown rice takes about 40 minutes to steam.
1 cup cooked brown rice has 216 calories, 2g fat, 5g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 4g fiber.
RYEAn inferior grain for bread because its proteins don't form gluten, rye is typically planted only in the cold, wet climates where wheat won't thrive. Most rye breads have a good amount of refined flour in them to help them rise, and even the rye flour used may not be whole grain.
Taste: Sweet, fruity, chewy.
How to use: Add whole grain rye flour to a favorite wheat bread or pancake recipe.
1 cup medium rye flour has 361 calories, 2g fat, 10g protein, 79g carbohydrates, 15 g fiber.
WHEATCracked wheat is whole grain cracked into smaller pieces for quicker cooking. It has all the nutritional advantages of the whole wheat berry. To make bulgur, processors steam the whole berries, then dry and crack them. Farro is a cousin of bread wheat. Some of the bran has been removed, so farro is considered a semi-whole grain.
Taste: Nutty and chewy, like a robust barley.
How to use: Wheat berries can be steamed and eaten as a side dish or for breakfast. They take about an hour to cook if they've been soaked overnight, longer if they haven't. Cracked wheat and bulgur cook more quickly. Both grains make satisfying, fluffy pilafs. 1 cup cooked bulgur has 151 calories, 0g fat, 6g protein, 34g carbohydrates, 8g fiber.
WILD RICEThe seed of an aquatic plant, wild rice is chewy, earthy and nutty.
Taste: Meaty, fragrant.
How to use: Steamed wild rice is an elegant accompaniment to pork, ham, duck, beef or game. Mix with brown rice, white rice, barley or other grains; add sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions and celery, toasted pecans, plumped raisins or dried cranberries. Takes about 45 minutes to cook. When overcooked, grains splay open and become mushy.
1 cup cooked wild rice has 166 calories, 1g fat, 7g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber.
Sources: Times wires; www.nutritiondata.com. www.calorieking.com "A Cook's Guide to Grains" by Jenni Muir Conran, 2004.