What’s in a Grain?
Dec 15, 2015
What’s in a Grain?
Wheat has ears? Wheat berries grow at the top of
the wheat plant. The grains are tightly packed together in clusters and called ears.
Each ear of wheat is made up of 40-60 grains. The grains have to be separated from the ears and stalks before they can be turned into flour. Wheat berries are intact grains of wheat.
Parts of a grainBran: “outer shell”
that protects the seed. Contains vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber
Endosperm: inner, contains carbohydrates
Germ: food for the seed. Contains vitamins B & E, fat and protein
Whole Grains vs. RefinedWhole Grains:
Use the “whole” seed to make your grain products
Examples:◦ Whole wheat flour◦ Brown Rice◦ Whole wheat
pasta
Refined Grains: use only the endosperm “starchy part”
Examples:◦ White bread◦ White rice◦ Regular pasta
Types of grainsBarleyBuckwheatBulgurCornCouscousGranoKamutMillet
OatsQuinoa (keen-
wa)RiceRyeSpeltWheatWild Rice
Barley
BarleyOne of the oldest grains and still
a staple of Middle Eastern diets.Humans made bread from barley
long before they used wheat.Most barley sold for food is
“pearled” barley used in soups. Barley is “pearled” by polishing off the out layers of bran.
Buckwheat
BuckwheatThe fruit of a leafy plant belonging
to the same family as sorrel and rhubarb.
This nutritious food has a nutty flavor and is ideal for people allergic to the gluten in wheat.
Used by Americans for pancakes, by Russians for blintzes, and Japanese and Koreans for soba noodles.
Sometimes called groats or kasha.
Bulgur
BulgurBulgur is whole wheat processed
by steaming, drying , and cracking the kernels.
Bulgur maintains the nutritional values of whole wheat and is used in salads and pilafs.
Oats
OatsOriginally a weed in between rows of
wheat or barley.95% of the world’s oat crop is animal
feed. Our “oatmeal” is made from rolled
oats- oat groats that are steamed and flattened.
Quick cooking oatmeal is made from groats that are cut into several pieces before steaming and are rolled into thinner flakes.
Quinoa (keen-wa)
Quinoa (keen-wa)This pseudo-grain was grown by
the Incas centuries ago.It is rich in complete protein and
many nutrients.Can work as a rice substitute but
cooks in half the time.
Rice
RiceHalf the world’s population eats rice
three times a day.In Chinese, the words for rice and
culture are the same. In Japanese the word for rice also
means meal. Brown rice is the entire grain of rice
with only the inedible outer husk removed.
Brown rice is nutritious, high in fiber, and has a rich nutty flavor.
Rye
RyeRye was first seen as a weedRye was the basic grain of Britains
as well as countries of Northern and Eastern Europe.
Rye contains little gluten so 100%rye flour will not make a loaf of bread. Most rye bread is at least 80% wheat flour. Bread can have as little as 2% rye and still be called rye bread.
Wheat
WheatWheat ranks first in production
among the world’s grains and accounts for over 20% of all calories consumed by humans.
Common foods made with wheat are cereal, bread, crackers, pasta.