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USDA WIC now lists sorghum, millet & teff
by Don Osborn 13 Apr '24

13 Apr '24

Sorghum, "millet," and teff are now listed among the whole grain options covered by the U.S. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This is part of a wider change in WIC's list of eligible foods, that has been under discussion since November 2022. WIC is a Federal program administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and state-level agencies, for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five. "Millet" in the list is not given a precision that we are aware of. In the U.S., as we know, this term is commonly used to refer to proso millet, which is a significant crop in the High Plains. However, the term also covers the range of small grains surnamed "millet," which would represent an even larger expansion of the list of eligible whole grains under WIC. This is a very positive development, both for the health and nutrition of eligible recipients, and for growers and processors of sorghum, proso millet, and teff in the U.S. And in the bigger picture, it's another step ahead for millets in North America. For more info: * "WIC Food Packages - Regulatory Requirements for WIC-Eligible Foods," USDA, 10 Apr 2024 (look under "Types of Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Grain Bread, and Other Whole Grains") https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/food-packages/regulatory-requirements * "WIC is changing in 2024. Here's what to expect," by Adrienne Crezo, Center for Science in the Public Interest, 10 Apr 2024 https://www.cspinet.org/cspi-news/wic-changing-2024-heres-what-expect * "Sorghum Joins WIC National Food Package: USCP Celebrates Enhanced Nutrition Accessibility for Children in Expanded Offerings," United Sorghum Checkoff Program (press release), 11 Apr 2024 https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/press-releases/sorghum-joins-wic-national-f… * "Proposals would expand WIC whole grain options," by Jeff Gelski, Baking Business, 25 Nov. 2022 https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/57884-proposals-would-expand-wic-wh… * WIC, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIC Thanks to our friend and Director of Nutrition & Food Innovation at Sorghum Checkoff, Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD, whose posting of the USCP press release (link above) brought this to our attention. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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"The Growth and Utilization of Foxtail Millet" (1917 article)
by Don Osborn 01 Apr '24

01 Apr '24

Since I was a bit behind with the foxtail millet "millet-of-the-month" post, I might as well follow up with a century-old article about this grain. This piece was apparently syndicated, appearing in several local papers in the US around 1917. I found it interesting. You may judge how well it holds up after all this time. This particular version came from a paper in Lancaster, PA, accessed via Newspapers.com./1 An image is attached, and the text from a surprisingly good OCR (which I quickly corrected) follows below. The author, Harry N. Vinall, wrote a number of crop bulletins,/2 of which one of them with the same title as this article goes into more depth on the subject./3 Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: 1. "Growth and Utilization of Foxtail Millet," by H.N, Vinall, Lancaster Intelligencer, 27 June 1917, p. 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-intelligencer-growth-utiliza/1… 2. https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Vinall%2C%… 3. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/101804274 ----------------------- THE GROWTH AND UTILIZATION OF FOXTAIL MILLET By H. N. VINALL The name millet is applied to a number of cultivated annual grasses, some of which are used largely as forage crops and others as cereals; most of them, however, are used either for forage or for grain, according to the needs of the growers. In the United all except for the broomcorn millet are used almost exclusively for forage purposes, but in Africa, India, China, Korea, Japan, and Russia the millets are grown extensively for human food. In China the broomcorn and foxtail millets are most common, and the grain, after being cleaned and hulled, is crushed and cooked as a porridge, much as certain breakfast foods are used in America. In India, pearl millet, which is grown there under the native name of bajra is the most important millet. Korea and Japan produce considerable proso and foxtail millet, and the latter country also devotes a considerable acreage to barnyard millet, which is grown there almost entirely for its seed; but the millet crop is of minor importance in these countries, as it is in Europe, where it is not cultivated extensively except in the Mediterranean region and in Russia. Much proso or broomcorn millet is produced in Russia, especially in the southeastern provinces. Millet is one of the oldest of cultivated crops. Its planting has been mentioned in Chinese records as being part of a religious ceremony carried out by the Chinese emperor as early as 2700 B. C. Probably native in southern Asia, its culture spread from there westward to Europe at an early date. In 1849 a distribution of millet German Millet. seed was made by the United States Patent Office, and in 1888 millet had become a rather important crop in the central states, where it was found better adapted than along the Atlantic coast. By 1899 over 74 per cent of the total acreage of millet was found in the north-central states. Kansas, with 349,906 acres, led all the states, and produced an average of 1.9 tons of millet hay per acre, against an average of 1.6 tons per acre for the whole United States. According to the thirteenth census, Kansas was still first in millet production, the leading states ranking in the following order: Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. To succeed well, millet must have warm weather during the growing season. It does not grow well at high altitudes or in other localities where cold weather prevails during the summer months. Notwithstanding this preference for warm weather, millet is grown successfully in our most northern states, especially those in the Great Plains region, because in those states the summers, though short, are hot. Millet, as it matures quickly, can be planted and harvested during these summer months. The long days prevailing in this latitude provide plenty of sunshine, and thus a less period of time is required for maturing the crop. The longer seasoned varieties, like German and Turkestan, can be grown successfully only in the central or southern states. Millet does best in localities which have a fairly abundant rainfall. Many writers have referred to the millets as drought-resistant crops, and they do have a low water requirement, but they lack the ability to recover after being injured by a period of drought. This ability to recover from drought injury is very pronounced in the sorghums, but the millets succeed in localities subject to drought almost entirely through their ability to escape periods of acute drought on account of their short growing season. Millet is usually one of the first crops to show the effect of a drought, mainly because of its shallow root system. A rich, loose, loamy soil is best for millet. Plenty of humus is advantageous, and for this reason millet is often planted on newly turned grass sod. It is a good crop for such situations also, because it seems to aid in disintegrating the sod. Good drainage is essential. Millet is grown chiefly as a catch crop and is not important as a constituent in a regular cropping system. Most farmers use it to overcome an expected shortage in their hay supply or to occupy a field which would otherwise be idle on account of the failure of a regular crop or because climatic conditions have prevented the seeding of such a crop. Millet is admirably suited to such use because of its short season of growth and the ease and certainty of obtaining a stand. The plant is also adapted to a wide range both of soils and of climates. Large yields are not obtained either on poor soils or in dry climates, but millet has been found to make a heavier yield under such conditions than most other hay crops. The strongest competitor of millet which has yet been found is Sudan grass, which promises to replace millet in many localities as a catch crop, so that a further decrease in the acreage of millet is to be expected. The quality of Sudan grass hay is superior to that of millet, and its yields under comparable conditions are nearly always larger, but the growing season is a trifle longer than that required by either Common or Hungarian millet. Foxtail millet is used to some extent as a soiling crop, but it is not as well suited for this purpose as the sorghums and some of the small grains. Pearl millet is better for use as a green feed than the foxtail millets, because of its larger yield and its ability to make a second growth after being cut down; and both pearl millet and barnyard millet are better silage crops than foxtail millet, because of their larger yields and greater succulence. Foxtail millet has never been utilized to any great extent as a grain crop in the United States. In China and certain other parts of Asia, as was stated in the introduction, it is used more or less as human food. So long as wheat can be produced in the United States as abundantly and cheaply as at present little millet will be grown for human food. --

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 26, Issue 6
by Gary Wietgrefe 01 Apr '24

01 Apr '24

Don, I appreciated your reply to the WSJ. Ignoring the article would confirm the premise. As David suggested, millet is a rice alternative, just like bulgar wheat. When millet reaches the U.S. food market share of bulgar wheat, millet needs to step up to the share of pearl barley, rye (breads), oats (rolled, meal, milk), then millet would be on its way to reaching the share of durum wheat, and etcetera...just like other grains are trying to get to millet's market share of wild birdfeed. Today's closing ceremony of International Year of Millets proved increased awareness of millets worldwide with speakers from Algeria, Australia, and Minnesota, plus the expected substantial representation of India and central Africa. It didn't just happen. India and the U.N. took the lead highlighting millet uses through news media. As suggested with waxy, someone, likely this group, needs to take the lead with U.S. millet news articles. It is not enough to just respond when some entity, as unlikely as the WSJ, randomly gives millet a bit of recognition....Gary Wietgrefe On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 6:01 AM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space > > You can reach the person managing the list at > collab-owner(a)lists.millets2023.space > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Collab digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Reply to WSJ article on "millet" having "no taste" > (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:06:41 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: "Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS" <david.brenner(a)usda.gov> > Cc: Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com>, > "collab(a)lists.millets2023.space" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Subject: Re: [Collab] Reply to WSJ article on "millet" having "no > taste" > Message-ID: > <CA+RHibXPTUq= > jwGGkyV9a3a2R1b2yS4xkmWJpkAAA21iXHuLqQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Thank you for your replies, > > Joni, the article does seem to be an outlier, which is not to suggest that > all coverage on millets has to be the same or uniformly positive. But here > I get the sense that the object was to find some catchy juxtaposition (per > clickbait, as you put it). It missed on some fundamentals, as I see it - > namely: omission of mention of the International Year of Millets; no a > clear indication that the authors understood that "millet" is not one > thing, culinarily; and no delving into the premise of "no taste." A more > productive angle, if they wanted to focus on the matter of flavors of > millets, might have been to ask if taste might be a factor in the decline > of popularity of millets relative to major cereal grains in India (since > that country was the setting for the effort we are reviewing), and if it > might be a factor in their revival. Not sure that would have worked either, > but it might have been more thought provoking. > > This short feature article does not seem to have had much play in any media > space, so it may not be helpful to write a formal reply. On the other hand, > it might be worth cultivating relations with food writers at the WSJ and > other news organizations. It's good that millets (even if just "millet") > got some recognition in this paper - has it run any straight news pieces on > millets or the IYM?. Maybe an invitation rather than a rebuttal would yield > a better harvest? > > David, I actually have a waxy (glutinous [not glutEn as we know], or > "sticky") proso millet in my kitchen. I've only used it as a grain > component in a stew, with the thought that its physical qualities help make > the sauce part more viscous (I'm more of a food hacker than a cook, but the > resulta aren;t bad. My impression generally is that the flavor isn't > significantly different. In the case of rice, for me, sticky rice is > comfortably in the range of rice flavors. If you have a market specializing > in Chinese foods, it should be easy to find sticky ("nuo") millets: proso > ("da-hwang-mi") or foxtail ("xiao-mi"). > > Regarding flavors of millets generally, I'd still like to see some "blind" > taste tests. Is there enough of a millets constituency at Iowa State to > arrange such a thing, say this fall? > > Best to all, > > Don > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > > On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 11:29?AM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS < > david.brenner(a)usda.gov> wrote: > > > If this were a taste race with rice some millets could win placing near > > bulgar wheat. I would like to enter waxy versions of millets in the same > > race, but I have never tasted them, so I just guess they are wonderful. > > Cooks make whole-plate compositions, as Don says. For example, we still > > have vanilla ice cream even though chocolate ice cream and sherbert are > > available. David Brenner > > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of > Joni > > Kindwall-Moore <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> > > *Sent:* Monday, March 25, 2024 9:30 AM > > *To:* Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > > *Cc:* collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > > *Subject:* [External Email]Re: [Collab] Reply to WSJ article on "millet" > > having "no taste" > > > > [External Email] > > If this message comes from an *unexpected sender* or references a > *vague/unexpected > > topic;* > > Use caution before clicking links or opening attachments. > > Please send any concerns or suspicious messages to: Spam.Abuse(a)usda.gov > > Yes, it was clear that it was just a 'click bait' silly article for the > > reasons you mentioned above Don. What a wasted of journalism space. We > > should write a rebuttal and approach the WSJ with it. > > > > On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:04?PM Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > > wrote: > > > > Here is my reply to the Wall Street Journal article that characterised > > "millet" as a "superfood" with "no taste." Thank you again to Prof. > Dipak > > Santra for enabling us to access the full article. Thanks also to Gary > > Wietgrefe for his take on this issue, which I used in the third ("So > > what?") question I raised. This was posted to LinkedIn on Friday 3/22. > DO > > > > > > The Wall Street Journal ran a feature article last fall that was less > than > > favorable about hashtag#millets from the perspective of hashtag#flavor - > > "It?s the World?s Hot New Superfood. The Snag: It ?Has No Taste.?"* > > Although the authors cover some useful points - and one is never upset to > > see more discussion about millets - I'd like to engage with the premise > of > > "no taste." To do so I'll pose three questions: What are we talking > about? > > What are we expecting? & So what? > > > > First, however, wanted to express surprise that no reference was made in > > the article to the larger context of Indian P.M. Narenda Modi's interest > in > > these grains, namely, the International Year of Millets (2023). How could > > the authors and the WSJ editors fail to mention this observance, the > > promotion of which has been a major project of P.M. Modi's government, > and > > which was ongoing at the time of publication? > > > > My three questions about the article's premise that millets have no > taste, > > and thoughts about them, follow: > > 1. What are we talking about? The article is one of those which uses the > > singular "millet" throughout, and this generally raises the question of > > whether the authors are referring to (a) one specific kind of millet, > being > > unaware of other kinds, or rather (b) all kinds of millets, seen as > having > > the same characteristics. In this case, I'll assume that the authors > (Shan > > Li and Rajesh Roy) are aware of the plurality of millets, but for > whatever > > reason, treat them as so similar as to present as one thing in foods (b). > > > > In fact, millets are not the same. Personally I found this out years ago > > when buying one "millet" thinking it was another, and finding out that > the > > taste was totally different. Today, some millets like proso and fonio are > > described as having a slightly "nutty" flavor (this adjective is > admittedly > > overused), although I've also seen proso once compared to roasted corn > (not > > sure I'd agree, but it's clearly not without taste). Others, like little, > > kodo, barnyard, are flatter in taste, closer to rice. One author > described > > finger millet as having a chocolatey flavor. Pearl millet has yet another > > flavor, which I find unique. > > > > 2. What are we expecting? Grains in general have subtle flavors, and > > millets are no exception. They bring notes and textures to a dish or > > confection, as well as bulk (esp. in high-starch diets), but aren't there > > to dominate. Even bread, typically built around wheat flour, includes a > few > > or even many other ingredients - and then is eaten as a side or with a > > spread. > > > > 3. So what if they did have "no taste"? Who normally eats a grain without > > accompaniment of some sort? Even if a millet is perceived as being bland, > > I'd argue that the issue is what combinations work best with it. Food > > cultures of Asia and Africa may be well-established in this respect, but > > there is opportunity to experiment further everywhere - and that's the > key > > message I'd propose at this point. > > > > * WSJ, 20 Oct 2023 > > > https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/supergrain-millet-healthy-india-modi-2cc8b9d4 > > > > > > Don Osborn, PhD > > (East Lansing, MI, US) > > North American Millets Alliance > > > > > > -- > > Collab mailing list > > Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > > > > > > > > > > > > This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely > > for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this > message > > or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the > law > > and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe > you > > have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete > > the email immediately. > > >

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Foxtail millet - March millet-of-the-month
by Don Osborn 31 Mar '24

31 Mar '24

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is our "millet-of-the-month" for March again in 2024. It is the second most cultivated of the millets (or third, counting sorghum). It is grown for grain mostly in Asia (esp. China & India). In North America it is mainly grown for hay or cover crop, but imported foxtail grain for human consumption can be found in Asian food markets or onlne. Three items about this millet may be of interest: * "All About Foxtail Millet: 3 Tips for Cooking With Foxtail Millet," MasterClass.com, 7 June 2021 https://www.masterclass.com/articles/foxtail-millet-guide (A quick and to-the-point intro with some basics, this could be a template for other millets) * Singh, R.K., Muthamilarasan, M., Prasad, M. (2017). "Foxtail Millet: An Introduction." In: Prasad, M. (eds) The Foxtail Millet Genome. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65617-5_1 or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320536530_Foxtail_Millet_An_Introd… (So you want more than a Wikipedia article? This introductory chapter from a book on foxtail millet has a lot of information.) * González-Rabanal, B., Marín-Arroyo, A.B., Cristiani, E. et al. (2022) "The arrival of millets to the Atlantic coast of northern Iberia." Scientific Reports 12, 18589 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23227-4 (Evidence from the western end of Eurasia about ancient cultivation of foxtail and proso millets that came from East Asia. Millets are really ancient crops, with foxtail millet being perhaps the oldest.) In the attached image, the left hand part was seen on two sites: https://www.chenabgourmet.com/youll-never-believe-how-millets-can-save-the-… & https://agronfoodprocessing.com/from-farm-to-table-the-journey-of-millets-i… . The right hand part is a stock photo. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Reply to WSJ article on "millet" having "no taste"
by Don Osborn 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

Here is my reply to the Wall Street Journal article that characterised "millet" as a "superfood" with "no taste." Thank you again to Prof. Dipak Santra for enabling us to access the full article. Thanks also to Gary Wietgrefe for his take on this issue, which I used in the third ("So what?") question I raised. This was posted to LinkedIn on Friday 3/22. DO The Wall Street Journal ran a feature article last fall that was less than favorable about hashtag#millets from the perspective of hashtag#flavor - "It’s the World’s Hot New Superfood. The Snag: It ‘Has No Taste.’"* Although the authors cover some useful points - and one is never upset to see more discussion about millets - I'd like to engage with the premise of "no taste." To do so I'll pose three questions: What are we talking about? What are we expecting? & So what? First, however, wanted to express surprise that no reference was made in the article to the larger context of Indian P.M. Narenda Modi's interest in these grains, namely, the International Year of Millets (2023). How could the authors and the WSJ editors fail to mention this observance, the promotion of which has been a major project of P.M. Modi's government, and which was ongoing at the time of publication? My three questions about the article's premise that millets have no taste, and thoughts about them, follow: 1. What are we talking about? The article is one of those which uses the singular "millet" throughout, and this generally raises the question of whether the authors are referring to (a) one specific kind of millet, being unaware of other kinds, or rather (b) all kinds of millets, seen as having the same characteristics. In this case, I'll assume that the authors (Shan Li and Rajesh Roy) are aware of the plurality of millets, but for whatever reason, treat them as so similar as to present as one thing in foods (b). In fact, millets are not the same. Personally I found this out years ago when buying one "millet" thinking it was another, and finding out that the taste was totally different. Today, some millets like proso and fonio are described as having a slightly "nutty" flavor (this adjective is admittedly overused), although I've also seen proso once compared to roasted corn (not sure I'd agree, but it's clearly not without taste). Others, like little, kodo, barnyard, are flatter in taste, closer to rice. One author described finger millet as having a chocolatey flavor. Pearl millet has yet another flavor, which I find unique. 2. What are we expecting? Grains in general have subtle flavors, and millets are no exception. They bring notes and textures to a dish or confection, as well as bulk (esp. in high-starch diets), but aren't there to dominate. Even bread, typically built around wheat flour, includes a few or even many other ingredients - and then is eaten as a side or with a spread. 3. So what if they did have "no taste"? Who normally eats a grain without accompaniment of some sort? Even if a millet is perceived as being bland, I'd argue that the issue is what combinations work best with it. Food cultures of Asia and Africa may be well-established in this respect, but there is opportunity to experiment further everywhere - and that's the key message I'd propose at this point. * WSJ, 20 Oct 2023 https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/supergrain-millet-healthy-india-modi-2cc8b9d4 Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Join us for the International Year of Millets Closing Event - Friday 29 March 2024 - Hybrid Event (FAO and online) - REGISTER AND SHARE IT!
by Dimitrova, Zdravka (NSP) 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

[cid:0cb98e5bfffd928b01e69374d5728ebe8fa988cfe15879f33614cbd391977b9f] International Year of Millets Closing Event _____________________________ Friday, 29 March 2024 | 9.30-14.00 (CET) | FAO HQ - Sheikh Zayed Centre H Y B R I D E V E N T (Zoom, FAO Webcast, FAO HQ - Sheikh Zayed Centre) Click here<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/international-year-of-millet…> to check out the full agenda Register here<https://fao.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvc-CuqjsrHd0Ss9RNwxlBYQL4b_VJXFPh#/…> Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Chinese The International Year of Millets (IYM 2023) Closing Event will include: 9.30 – 10.30| Roundtable discussion: Research and development for the millets sector 10.30 – 11.30| Panel discussion: How have millets had an impact on your life? 11.45 – 12.30| Light lunch & Exhibition visit (Atrium) 11.45 – 12.30| Speakers’ corner for interactive discussions (Atrium) 12.30 – 13.00| Cooking demonstration with Chef Binta (Atrium) 13.00 – 14.00| Official closing ceremony of the International Year of Millets 2023 Together, let's sow the seeds for a sustainable and nourishing future! Official hashtags: #IYM2023 #YearofMillets For more information, please contact international-year-millets(a)fao.org<mailto:international-year-millets@fao.org> and visit the IYM website<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en>. [A group of bowls of grains Description automatically generated]Contact: NSP-Director(a)fao.org<mailto:NSP-Director@fao.org> or World-Pulses-Day(a)fao.org<mailto:World-Pulses-Day@fao.org>

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Little millet was February's millet-of-the-month
by Don Osborn 25 Mar '24

25 Mar '24

(Apologies for the tardy posting about little millet, last month's millet-of-the-month. The March millet-of-the-month is foxtail millet - more on that coming soon.) Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) was February's millet-of-the-month. Here are a few items on this grain, followed by some perspectives on the Panicum genus. * The origin of this crop is said by some sources to be the Eastern Ghats region of India, about 2000-2700 years ago. However, some archaeobotanical evidence from the Harappan / Indus Valley civilization seems to indicate its use much earlier. * The plant and the grain of little millet are smaller than those of its cousin, proso millet (P. miliaceum), which was January's millet-of-the-month. * When cooking little millet, it has an almost earthy aroma, but the taste might be characterized as rice-like. Compare with proso millet, which is often described as having a "nutty" flavor. * For some information on little millet as food and part of a healthy diet, see this recent page: https://yummy-valley.com/blog/little-millet-benefits/ Of the 12 botanic genera represented among the millets, only the genus Panicum has two species that are grown at scale: proso millet and little millet (which are now our January & February millets-of-the-month, respectively). Another cultivated millet in this genus is the rare and almost lost "Sonoran millet," P. hirticaule of North America. A couple of dozen wild Panicums are mentioned in a 2022 report by Crop Trust, "Global strategy for the conservation and use of genetic resources of selected millets" (Annex VI). These figure in a larger list of relatives of millets drawn from the IUCN Red List. See: https://zenodo.org/records/7798294 A composite image is attached. On the left side, image is from Patil, E. Harshal, P.A. Vavdiya, G.D. Vadodariya and B.K. Patel. 2021. "A dual purpose, high yielding little millet (Panicum sumatrense) variety ‘GV-4’ (Ambika) for cultivation in Gujarat." Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 12(4):1321-1330. https://www.ejplantbreeding.org/index.php/EJPB/article/view/3951 The image on the right side is a personal photo. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Additional uses of the Collab list in 2024
by Don Osborn 24 Mar '24

24 Mar '24

The Collab list was begun in 2022 with a focus on the International Year of Millets (2023) in North America. In 2024 and beyond, we are hoping this list can continue to play a role in building the community of interest and action on millets. There's a revised list description on the Collab info page: https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab One thing we haven't done here before is encourage enterprises working on millet products to tell us about their work and what they offer. Along those lines, I'm going to approve a post from a non-subscriber sent earlier this year. Their business in India - Anika - is planning consumer packaged goods with millets, and possible manufacturing in the US. (Collab would limit such publicity to once every 6 months, as we see how ethis works.) We also like to hear more about research on millets, including in food processing. So I'll approve another post from a non-subscriber about research on millet flours in cookie doughs, received earlier this month. We do prefer that people subscribe to the list, so if you have friends, colleagues, or business associates who you think could benefit from and contribute to discussions here, please invite them to join us. One final note in this post - I apologize for the 4 week gap in posts. I've had to tend to a number of other matters, but will catch up. Best to all, Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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I would like to share with you "Mixolab thermo-mechanical behaviour of millet flours and their cookie ..."
by mhboyaci＠gmail.com 10 Mar '24

10 Mar '24

FYI: Best regards, Hikmet Here is the link to "Mixolab thermo-mechanical behaviour of millet flours and their cookie doughs, flour functionality and baking characteristics": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733521024000249 Dr. M. Hikmet Boyacioglu Cereal Scientist, Ph.D. Applications Development Specialist, KPM Analytics Adjunct Professor, Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University Graduate Faculty Associate, Kansas State University Associate Editor, Cereal Chemistry Editorial Board Member, Cereal Technology/Getreidetechnologie Contributing Editor, Baking & Snack Correspondent, World Grain Twitter: M.H Boyacioglu @ProfBoyacioglu

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The tastes of millets (was Re: Collab Digest, Vol 25, Issue 14)
by Don Osborn 27 Feb '24

27 Feb '24

Thank you Gary, for these thoughts. It would be interesting to hear some of your stories. There are certainly different ways to spin it - might it be more a question of a "neutral" taste? And that among some more than other millets? Personally, I tend to think of grains in general (and most starch) as having subtle flavors - altho a few have stronger character. So they are consumed with something else (which is served alongside, or on top, or cooked together with). Regarding millets, the genesis of my thinking comes from an experience in 1987. Coming back to the US from several years in West Africa, where among the foods I was introduced to was "millet," I came across "millet" in the bulk bin of a store, and bought some with the idea of reconnecting with that flavor. Its appearance was different, and the taste was not at all the same. This was my introduction to proso millet. I had been eating pearl millet in West Africa, More recently - and especially since 2022 - I've experimented a bit with several millets to get a sense of what makes them unique. No great revelations (I'm more of a kitchen hack than a cook, TBH), but a sense that there's more going on here than we hear about. Should we set up a taste text with a range of millets for culinary experts from North America? Or arrange for use of experimental kitchens to explore comparative characteristics of these grains? Some millets may fill this neutral role, while others might go well in diverse foods highlighting aspects of their natural flavor. Anyway, it would be good to hear otther people's thoughts as well. All the best, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Sun. Feb 25, 2024 at 2:46 PM, Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: What an amazing beneficial approach. Millet neutral—no taste! This is positioning we could not have achieved with the best NAMA press release. Though I like to cook and have traveled internationally for 50 years, one of the hardest jobs of chefs wherever is to take local foods and disguise offensive tannins, flavors, or after-effects and have them enjoyed by locals and visitors. Promoting millet’s generally neutral tastes means that cooks, chefs, brewers, butchers, bakers and even candlestick makers can use millet. The Wall Street Journal may have found the perfect approach to massive millet market positioning. Now we can says, “Use millet in all foods. Millet tastes are so mild all food processors can take advantage of millet. ‘“It’s the World’s Hot New Superfood. It ‘Has No Taste,’” so it will fit into all cuisines to take advantage of local flavors….Gary Wietgrefe

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