- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

[Organic Sorghum Supply] Request for bulk supply
by Vishal Ramakrishnan 10 Jan '24

10 Jan '24

Hello All, I previously reached out to this group in regards to establishing a millets advisory board focused on creating additional value-added products from millets besides food products. As part of this initiative, I am reaching out to understand if there are any bulk suppliers of Organic Sorghum in this group. I would like to establish a steady source of supply in large quantities of this grain and would greatly appreciate any assistance on this matter. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or requests for further information. Best regards, Vishal Ramakrishnan Whatsapp: +1-732-218-2522

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Introducing Early-stage CPG healthy food startup, KUKU Bars
by Jangu Anika 10 Jan '24

10 Jan '24

Hello Everyone, I am Jangaiah Anika from India, the founder of ANIKA ORGANICS AND NATURALS. I am reaching out on behalf of our early-stage CPG healthy food startup, KUKU Bars, specializing in the manufacturing and branding of millet-based value-added products. Our product range includes Nutrition/Energy Bars, Millet Pancakes, Muesli, and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) and Ready-to-Cook (RTC) items. We are actively seeking partners and strategy mentors for the North American market. Our key focus areas encompass market occupancy, direct-to-consumer (D2C) initiatives, supply chains for supermarkets and hypermarkets, partnerships with gyms and hospitals 🏥 🏋️‍♂️, and collaboration with local manufacturing to create employment opportunities. If all progresses successfully, we have plans to establish manufacturing operations in the USA, contributing significantly to local farmers, employment, and environmental sustainability. Please find the attached Pitch Deck for a better understanding. Best Regards, -- Jangaiah Anika Founder | Product Head Office +91 6304 005 447 Cell +91 97048 75752 Anika Organics & Naturals <https://anikaorganic.com/>

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New fonio beers
by Don Osborn 09 Jan '24

09 Jan '24

Starting a new year, am alredy playing catch-up, as I try to clear some things off my desk. Saw an item last October on a fonio beer collaboration by Yolélé and Brooklyn Brewery (possiby the same outfit hinted at by Robin in her question about sorghum spirits), and had meant to post here on it earlier. In the meantime, I came across other items, one about another fonio beer involving Brooklyn Brewery, and yet another by Terra Ingredients and Wolf & Warrior Brewing Co. Here are a few items on these: ** Brooklyn Brewery and Yolélé ** "Brooklyn Brewery and Yolélé Collaborate to Release ‘Fonio Rising’ Beer Worldwide," Brewbound, 4 Oct 2023 (press release) https://www.brewbound.com/news/brooklyn-brewery-and-yolele-collaborate-to-r… "We Tried Brooklyn Brewery's New Yolélé Fonio White Beer. Here's How It Went," by Adam Swierk, Mashed, 13 Oct. 2022 (a very positive early review) https://www.mashed.com/1052978/we-tried-brooklyn-brewerys-new-yolele-fonio-… Brooklyn Brewery product page: https://brooklynbrewery.com/brooklyn-beers/limited/brooklyn-brewery-x-yolel… ** Brooklyn Brewery and Brewgooder (in UK) ** "African ‘super grain’ beer launches in UK as cereal prices remain high," by Eloise Feilden, The Drinks Business, 25 May 2023 https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2023/05/african-super-grain-beer-launches… ** Wolf & Warrior Brewing Co. & Terra Ingredients ** "Andes to Africa Golden Ale with Fonio: A Unique Beer Collaboration by Terra Ingredients and Wolf & Warrior Brewing Company," Terra Ingredients https://www.terraingredients.com/news/andes-to-africa-golden-ale-with-fonio… I'm not that familiar with the craft brewing industry (and don't drink) so can't offer any insights.on the products described above. I would however recall that sorghum and proso millet are also popular alternatives to wheat for beers. Our Millets Webinar last September featured a presentation by Twila Soles, whose company - Grouse Malt House - works with proso. For those of you who missed it, see https://youtu.be/RgkSnqIeHAU More soon and best to all, Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Presentation Opportunity: International Conference on Global Food Security Challenges Related to Climate Change and Disaster Management
by Sorghum United 07 Jan '24

07 Jan '24

Indo-U.S. Millets Initiative: International Conference on Global Food Security Challenges Related to Climate Change and Disaster Management (signupgenius.com) <https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DABAA29A0F9C34-47081833-international…> All: The newly minted Indo-U.S. Millets Initiative (a collaboration between Sorghum United, NAMA, India Millet Initiative, Daugherty Water for Food GLobal Institute, and the University of Nebraska) is hosting an international conference on 2 February (Indian Standard Time). The International Conference on Global Food Security Challenges Related to Climate Change and Disaster Management, is seeking virtual presentations germane to this subject. There are seven spots left. We have several participants from the subcontinent registered. It would be fantastic to have other regions represented as well. You can register using the link at the top of this message. All the best, *Nate Blum*Chief Executive OfficerSorghum United+1 402 802 1850 sorghumunited(a)gmail.com

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Maybe it's time for a sorghum spirit?
by Robin Asbell 07 Jan '24

07 Jan '24

As we consider how to popularize millets, perhaps a US based Baijiu-maker would get more farmers to grow sorghum. Apparently, the sorghum based spirit is the most consumed spirit in the world. There must be a hipster distiller in Brooklyn looking for the next ultra-cool spirit to introduce to Western cocktail aficionados. https://plateonline.com/drink/cocktails/get-crash-course-baijiu-vancouver-s… (article copied from Plate online) Get a Crash Course in Baijiu at This Vancouver Speakeasy Robin CatalanoJANUARY 2, 2024 [image: Photo: Courtesy of Laowai] Dance Monkey baijiu cocktail at Laowai, VancouverPHOTO: COURTESY OF LAOWAI <https://plateonline.com/drink/cocktails/get-crash-course-baijiu-vancouver-s…> [image: Marketing & Technology] <https://mtgad.com/www/delivery/cl.php?bannerid=4773&zoneid=104&source=sourc…> In a narrow, warmly lit bar, under dozens of pale, papery phoenix suspended from the ceiling, customers chatter while a musician taps out a ragtime tune on the upright piano. A server glides past, pausing at a corner table to deposit a pair of foam-topped cocktails and a tray bearing five shot glasses filled with baijiu. >From the secret location behind a faux dumpling house door to the crystal chandeliers, and prime menu real estate occupied by China’s favorite spirit, it wouldn’t be hard to envision this speakeasy in 1920s Shanghai. But three-year-old *Laowai*, hidden away in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood, has amassed a loyal audience with an innovative cocktail program that takes a storytelling-first approach in bringing to life a forgotten era of Chinese culture. *Lewis Hart* was an economics student and aspiring pro rugby player in England, who parlayed his imposing size and gregarious nature into working as a bouncer at bars. “I never had this idea of keeping people out. It was, how do I make people happy coming in, especially when they have to wait in line for three hours?” he says. After moving to Vancouver at 20, he worked his way up through nightclub management to VP of operations. He struck out on his own a few years later, choosing Chinatown, which had entered the early stages of a revival, as his location. (Laowai means “foreigner” in Chinese.) A self-described history nerd, Hart wanted to honor Chinese culture while highlighting a lesser-known time period. He landed on the Prohibition era, where famous American rogues like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly had across-the-Pacific counterparts. [image: Photo: Courtesy of Laowai] The wall of a faux dumpling shop that leads to Laowai speakeasy in VancouverPHOTO: COURTESY OF LAOWAI Laowai’s menu relies on these outsize personalities to bring baijiu to the mainstream. Although the sorghum-derived spirit is the world’s most consumed, thanks to China’s massive population, it’s rare in Western bars. The pungent, high-proof beverage is unfamiliar to North American palates, and can be acquired taste. Hart started by bringing in one of each of the four main types of baijiu, which are categorized by aroma: light, strong, phoenix, and sauce. “People loved it. They wanted to try more,” Hart says. “They were bringing in their grandparents, telling us, ‘My granddad hasn’t had this baijiu in 30 years.’” To meet the demand, Hart kept doubling his selections. The Laowai beverage list currently features 56 labels of the Chinese spirit. For cocktails, the mixology team uses brands like Yanghe Baiju, which are less intense flavors and more consistently available. They’re also the most affordable, running between $20 and $50 per bottle. The next tier, including popular Luzhou Laojiao, makes the jump to $80 to $150 per bottle. Premium baijiu, such as Wuliangye and Maotai, costs between $300 and $600 per bottle. Each Laowai cocktail menu takes about nine months to develop, beginning with research into historical figures. Then the team gets to work on pairing the 120-proof spirit with other ingredients that reflect the time period and the person. The esters in each aroma type dictate the best flavor combinations, says Hart. For example, the fermented-pineapple flavor of strong-aroma baijiu works well with tropical juices and stone fruits. Light aroma, which has the undertone of a grappa, is a natural in drier drinks, such as martinis; the bar team sometimes includes rice to help give the drink a bit of body and prevent it from tasting too sharp. Sauce-aroma baijiu has the earthy taste of soy and fungus. The mixologists lean into its truffle essence with chocolatey flavors, including red wine. As for phoenix aroma, Hart says, “It’s the bartender’s fernet. It’s got a lot going on, so we use it very delicately.” [image: Photo: Courtesy of Laowai] Goodbye Marilou baijiu cocktail PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAOWAI For instance, Don’t Let Them See You Bleed is based on W. E. Fairbairn, a British marine who moved to China and joined the Shanghai Municipal Police, which had one of the roughest beats in the world. (He’s believed by some to be the inspiration for Q in Ian Fleming’s James Bond books; the libation’s name derives from a snippet of dialogue.) Using a light-aroma baijiu, Laowai’s bartenders homed in on a dry martini flavor, fusing it with toasted rice to round out the body, and blood orange oil for a bit of zing. Hart recommends a lighter hand when starting out with baijiu. “You’re effectively pouring one and a half ounces to everybody else’s ounce,” he explains. “As a businessman, I want people drinking more cocktails, not getting wasted off two and then dipping out.” The cocktail menus—printed in slim, cloth-bound books, with a description and original illustrations of the historical figures each drink is based on—are the “most collectible item in the world,” Hart says with a laugh. “I swear they have legs. We’ve gotten to the point where we have to do a menu count at the end of the night, because so many go walking.” Beyond their keepsake-like feel, the menus serve an important role: they help articulate the bar’s concept without either the customer or the staff having to remember all the details of each cocktail’s story. The storytelling formula has been successful for Laowai, whose team delights in the theater of mixology, and of walking guests through baijiu tastings and cocktail selections to fit their palate and mood. “The best bars in the world, they’re no longer just opening the doors and saying, ‘Hey, I would like your money, and you would like a good drink,’” Hart says. “I think people are very cognizant of their spending power now, and they’re no longer just choosing a good product. They’re choosing an experience.” *Robin Catalano is a travel, food and beverage, and conservation journalist based in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley. * -- *Robin Asbell* *http://robinasbell.com/ <http://robinasbell.com/>*

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Some technical notes as we begin 2024
by Don Osborn 07 Jan '24

07 Jan '24

Happy New Year 2024 to all of you! And thank you for your support during the International Year of Millets 2023. (I understand that the official closing ceremony for the Year is still ahead of us,so we'll have more to say around that time). NAMA is already working on plans for 2024 and beyond. Stay tuned! Here are some technical notes of interest to subscribers: * The Collab list will continue on this domain, millets2023.space. It is not possible to port the archives to our destination URL, milletsalliance.org, and so maintain full continuity. Therefore, we'll keep Collab here for now. We'll continue this list in some form for as long as it continues to fill a communication function (in tandem with other media) for the millets interest & action community. * Collab may be the only forum for communication about all millets across all domains of activity, and with a North American focus (plus international awareness, of course). It currently has about 80 subscribers. * Since there have been a number of substantive posts about millets on Collab since its start in January 2022, I have been spending some time to make sure that messages are properly archived with Archive.org. In addition, I am trying to see if the list traffic can be stored on Mail-archive.com from this point in time on. All of this, again, to make the content of this list more accessible now and later. * NAMA also continues to use social media for communication - notably LinkedIn, where we have a page (and 700+ followers) at https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-american-millets-alliance-nama/ * We're also returning to the need for a proper NAMA website. To that end, if you have strong skills with WordPress (including Elementor), and would have time to lend a hand (no major commitment), please contact me offlist. Thank you, and we look forward to the coming year! Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance, co-founder don(a)milletsalliance.org

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"Year of Millets: Farmers willing, but market needs to develop"
by Don Osborn 04 Jan '24

04 Jan '24

Here's a recent article on the potential for proso millet in the Pacific Northwest, which includes thoughts from NAMA co-founder Joni Kindwall-Moore on the potential of this crop in general: "Year of Millets: Farmers willing, but market needs to develop," by Matthew Weaver, Capital Press (Salem, OR), 26 Dec. 2023 https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/grains/year-of-millets-farmers-will… I hope Joni won't mind my copying her additional comments on posting this article to LinkedIn: "Thank you Matthew Weaver at the Capital Press for doing a follow-up on the work we have been doing to develop our domestic Millets (including Sorghum) industry. "We have made strides this year in pushing for education and promotion thanks to the United Nations/FAO Year of Millets and several domestic organizations like the North American Millets Alliance (NAMA), the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, and Nate Blum's visionary work at Sorghum United. "Hundreds of conversations with farmers have left me feeling confident that there is a major yearning to plant more climate-resilient crops like millets to diversify their rotations and transition to crops that require less water, fewer chemical inputs and positively impact soil health. "We can not fuel regeneration without the diversification of crops. But this requires diversification of markets. "Unfortunately, the markets are not developing as fast as we need them to for a variety of reasons. Several factors persist that are hampering the development of market segments that support crop diversity and the adoption of millets. "First and foremost, I will say that I am personally extremely disappointed at the lack of interest in crop diversity and climate-resilient crops in general from leaders in the Natural Products industry. We tried to raise awareness and put millets on the topics of conversations at events like Expo West and in buyer groups at leading retailers like Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market but they were stubbornly unreceptive to the topic. "Interestingly enough, the 3 retailers who wanted to hear about millets and the potential role they play in the food system of the future were Walmart, The GIANT Company and Market of Choice. I am so appreciative of their willingness to lean in, take responsibility, and truly understand the pivotal role that retailers will play in shaping the food system of the future. "They invited the conversations, they wanted to learn. I applaud them! "While very positive conversations continue, I refuse to just sit here and watch other nations lead the transformation toward a climate-resilient food system, the sluggish adoption of the US markets is truly a shame. "We will keep pushing these initiatives domestically because of the critical role that climate-resilient crops play in the future of our food system." (Joni Kindwall-Moore at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joni-kindwall-moore-57a81014_year-of-millets… ) Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA bcc: Matthew Weaver

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Lessons from the International Year of Pulses (2016) & its follow-on activities
by Don Osborn 31 Dec '23

31 Dec '23

(The following post is adapted from one sent to the FAO's "Millets" Dgroup on 10 July 2023. It did not generate any public discussion apart from one reaction and my response to it. I'm reposting it to Collab, with edits, for your information and consideration.) As we arrive at the conclusion of the International Year of Millets (IYM), and begin to review what has been accomplished, and the road ahead, it is helpful to consider possible lessons from previous International Years, and their respective "after the Year" experiences. In this post I mention two - International Year of Quinoa (IYQ)/1 in 2013, and International Year of Pulses (IYP)/2 in 2016 - and then focus on the latter. In preparations for the IYM it was not uncommon to hear mention of the IYQ, and how that observance had a real effect on knowledge of and demand for quinoa in some markets (such as in the US). The thinking was, how might the success of IYQ in boosting interest in quinoa be replicated with the IYM's promotion of millets. The only analysis along these lines that I'm aware of, however, was done by Nicholas Musisi for the Sorghum United group, in 2022. Perhaps we will see other comparisons after the IYM is over. At the same time, it would be instructive to look at a different example that I haven't heard mentioned previously - the IYP. What is particularly interesting with the latter for comparison with IYM, is that it dealt also with not one, but a rather number of related crops. In addition, the name of the subject of IYP - "pulses" - required some explanation, even more than the plural "millets" does in the case of IYM. "Pulses" are grain legumes - various kinds of beans, peas, and lentils, with the distinction that these are harvested for their dried seeds (not green as vegetables). Soybeans and peanuts/groundnuts are not considered pulses because of their high oil/fat content. So how did IYP convey this diversity? In publicity about IYP from 2016 one finds mention of "a group of 12 crops that includes dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils."/3 However, it was hard to find any place where these 12 were listed let alone explained./4 One had to go elsewhere to find discussions of what crops (& foods) count as pulses, and the number varied - often not a tidy dozen, perhaps unsurprisingly. Then in comprehensive treatments, I found that several of the pulse "crops" in the list turn out to be groups of closely related species and varieties that bear some resemblance to each other (and perhaps may be substitutable). For example, an FAO list from 1994 (which is still getting cited) had 11 categories of pulses grouping 24 species across 14 genera, with varieties of some species also being mentioned./5 Compare with cultivated millets, which by my count (including sorghum) are 19 species across 12 genera, 5 botanical "tribes," and 2 subfamilies of Poaceae. And all of that without counting edible wild species of millets in at least three of those genera that do not appear to be grown as crops today. In both cases (pulses and millets), the variety and individual identities of species are a key part of their importance as crops and as foods, and indeed a potential interest factor for everyone from farmers to food product makers to consumers. On the latter point, it's worth noting that the forward to final report on the IYP/6 begins with mention of four species of pulses and factors that make them interesting. That kind of approach works for public education. However I'm not finding it in other IYP materials online - i.e., no profiling of each of the pulses. My impression is that our current discussion of millets may be stronger on the specifics (literally, the species) than IYP was with the diversity of pulses. Is that accurate? Did that matter? (I think it did/does, but the question needs to be asked.) Can we do more & better as we move past IYM? And how will such "clarity through specificity" lead to successful outcomes for millets in the future? In any event, the final report on the IYP/6 claims success on awareness-raising and offers selected percentage figures on increases in consumption of pulses after the 2016. I won't try to summarize the various accomplishments listed in the report, but you may find it of interest to review and compare with the efforts of IYM. I was particularly interested to note the final section of the IYP report on "The way forward."/6 A list of 3 goals for the future seem like they could easily have analogs for IYM (my comments in parentheses): 1) Pulses action network (which may be the origin of the current Global Pulse Confederation, which currently maintains the IYP2016.org website? Is there any analogous international network or global "confederation" in the works for millets?); 2) Publication on underutilized pulse species (something similar could be done for less-produced millets, which could use more attention from research funders and scientists); and 3) Revision of international statistical classifications on pulses (something similar would really help with millets, which are generally lumped together in national and international statistics, and even generically labeled in many consumer products). One also finds on the current IYP2016.org website a link to a 10-year research plan for pulses./7 (We are 7 years into that by now.) Such a long-term research plan - or plans - would also be very helpful for millets. (The 10-year timespan also reminds of the Decade of Millets proposed by the India Millets Initiative, with which NAMA, along with Sorghum United and the Daugherty Water for Food Initiative are partnering for the Indo-U.S. Millets Initiative.) In any event, it's time to think about how such follow-on goals and plans for millets might be framed as we look to 2024 and beyond - at the international level and also at the levels of world regions and countries.. These are some thoughts about the overall planning for after IYM, with reference to another recent Year, IYP. Within that context, and with focus on what we are hoping to do in North America, there will be more to say under separate cover. Thank you, and Happy New Year 2024 to all! Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance - co-founder Notes: 1. https://www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/iyq/en/ 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Year_of_Pulses 3. https://iyp2016.org/resources/what-are-pulses . The IYP2016.org website is evidently being maintained by the Global Pulse Confederation 4. https://donosborn.org/blog/2016/international-year-of-pulses-2016/ 5. https://web.archive.org/web/20161108032219/http://www.fao.org/es/faodef/fde… 6. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CA2853EN/ 7. https://iyp2016.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=275

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Taiwan oil millet (millet-of-the-month add-on)
by Don Osborn 31 Dec '23

31 Dec '23

In the same botanical "tribe" as adlay, December's millet-of-the-month, and sorghum, June's MotM, is the little known Taiwan oil millet (Spodiopogon formosanus). As the name infers, this species is native to the island of Taiwan, where it is locally cultivated, sometimes, at least, as a perennial. This species apparently was comparatively recently identified, by the botanist Dorian Fuller. Previously it had been mischaracterized as an Echinochloa species. Whether or not it's a potential "superfood," as some press coverage would have it, this millet may have some very interesting potential. For further information: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodiopogon_formosanus * https://archaeobotanist.blogspot.com/2009/05/forgotten-oil-millet-of-taiwan… * https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=30dd27c6-af3d-41c4… * https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxvi/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/28014 * https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/04/14/2003734582 We'll reorganize the millet-of-the-month calendar slightly for 2024, but since there are so many millets, TOM won't have its own month. Nevertheless, it is a crop and food that needs more attention. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 23, Issue 12
by Gary Wietgrefe 31 Dec '23

31 Dec '23

Here are a few more interesting articles about Job's tears. China: Adlay (薏苡 yì yĭ; “soft-shelled job's tears”; the seeds of Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) is a Potential Cancer Chemopreventive Agent toward Multistage Carcinogenesis Processes - ScienceDirect <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2225411016301122> Brazil: Adlay or Job's tears- a cereal of potentially greater economic importance. (cabdirect.org) <https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19531700121> Philippines: The Philippines promotes adlai as an alternative to rice (infoagro.com) <http://agriculture.infoagro.com/news/2021/the-philippines-promotes-adlai-as…> Indonesia: Prof. Dr. Hj. Tati Nurmala, “Job’s Tears as A Potential Alternative to Rice” – Universitas Padjadjaran (unpad.ac.id) <https://www.unpad.ac.id/en/profil/prof-dr-hj-tati-nurmala-jobs-tears-as-a-p…> Australia: Job's Tears | Alinta Foods <https://alintafoods.com.au/product/jobs-tears/> Local names by country: Coix lacryma-jobi (Job's-tears) | CABI Compendium (cabidigitallibrary.org) <https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.15648> On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 8:23 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: Adlay or Job's tears: December millet-of-the-month > (Don Osborn) > 2. Re: Adlay or Job's tears: December millet-of-the-month > (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2023 10:15:31 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: Re: [Collab] Adlay or Job's tears: December > millet-of-the-month > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibX9Dh2x++CCT-_nf_H1x1D+66zvhgG_Ud5Zts-RPVXFNw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > On the recent history of adlay / Job's tears, here are a couple of notes: > > First, it turns out that the proposal to use "adlay," a term from > the Philippines, for the food grain of Coix lacryma-jobi came in 1920 from > a Swedish-American sgtivultursl botanist. This I learned from a 1952 > article I came across in earlier research./1 > > Peter J, Wester (1877-1931)/2 spent the final two decades of his life in > the Philippines, during which he did various research and writing on > tropical crops. I was unable to access a copy of his 1920 article./3 > However, I did find a 1922 article of his on the subject of adlay, of which > the first page is freely accessible online as a "preview."/5 > > Second, the 1952 article mentioned above/1 was by Reimar von Schaaffhausen > and includes various observations about adlay as a crop, including what he > described as interest in it in Brazil. It would be interesting to know what > became of that optimism./5 > > I'm not sure how adlay, with its larger grain size and growth preference > for more humid zones, became grouped with the millets. However, since it is > in the group, it definitely seems worthy of more attention. The previous > efforts over the last century to promote it over the past century seem to > have had only modest and localized effect. > > Don > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > Notes: > 1. Reimar v. Schaaffhausen. (1952). Adlay or Job?s Tears: A Cereal of > Potentially Greater Economic Importance. *Economic Botany*, *6*(3), > 216?227. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4252082 (by setting up a free JSTOR > account, you can view 100 articles online per month) > 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jansen_Wester > 3. Wester, P. J.. Philipp. Agr. Rev. 14: 217.1920. > 4. Wester, P.J. (1922) "Adlay ? A New Grain Plant From the Orient: A > Relative of Indian Corn Found in Eastern Asia in a Great Number of Varietal > Forms ? Offering an Untouched Field of Work for the Plant Breeder." > *Journal > of Heredity*, Volume 13, Issue 5, May 1922, Pages 221?227, > https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a102209 > 5. Another article on adlay in Brazil from the early 1950s is one by G.P. > Viegas, "Aspectos da cultura do cereal 'Adlay"' for which the summary can > be read at https://www.scielo.br/j/brag/a/sNrFHZKF77yRJb46XXJjkyG/ > > On Sun, Dec 24, 2023 at 4:09?PM Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > wrote: > > > Adlay or Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) is our millet-of-the-month in > > December. Adlay is native to southeast Asia (the name "adlay" is from the > > Cebuano language of the southern Philippines), and its cultivation and > use > > have spread north and west in Asia. It is not to our knowledge grown at > > scale in North America, but there are growers who produce small > quantities > > of seed in the US, some of whom use them as ornamentals of for crafts. > > > > Adlay is a tall plant, domesticated varieties of which apparently can be > > cultivated as a perennial in warm climates. It grows best in more humid > > settings. The seeds hang in a way that inspired botanist Carl Linnaeus to > > give it the specific Latin name that we have in English as "Job's > tears.". > > > > The seeds of most varieties are larger than those of other grains > > considered millets, being roughly the size of a corn kernel, usually very > > pale in varieties cultivated for food, but in other varieties, can > > apparently be gray or reddish. Botanically, adlay is in the Andropogoneae > > "tribe," along with corn, sorghum, and the little-known Taiwan oil millet > > (more on the latter in another post). > > > > As a food it can be cooked as one would cook rice, or in soups. I > > personally just recently tried some and it's quite good. The flavor is a > > bit ricey, with its own character. You might see it in a market as > "Chinese > > barley," but it is *not* closely related to true barley. > > > > Adlay is also used to make a tea, and brewed for an alcoholic beverage. > > > > Various parts of the plant have found uses in traditional medicine of > > several cultures, and the dried seeds of some varieties are also used as > > beads. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental. > > > > Here are a few links for more information: > > * General information > > ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job%27s_tears > > ** https://www.britannica.com/plant/Jobs-tears > > ** https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.15648 > > > > * Culinary aspects of adlay > > ** > > > https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/jobs-tears-you-need-to-check-out-this… > > ** > > > https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/jobs-tear… > > ** https://youtu.be/lFJ9HZWOiKU > > > > * Adlay in the US > > ** https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1714 > > ** https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/coix-lacryma-jobi/ > > > > * Medicinal aspects of adlay > > ** https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1164/jobs-tears > > ** https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942904/ > > > > * Ornamental uses of, and seeds for, adlay > > ** https://www.rareseeds.com/job-s-tears > > ** https://sowtrueseed.com/products/jobs-tears > > ** > > > https://southernseedexchange.com/products/jobs-tears-10-seeds-gluten-free-g… > > > > > > Don Osborn, PhD > > (East Lansing, MI, US) > > North American Millets Alliance > > >

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