Last week I cooked and ate plain little millet for the first time, and today I did proso in the rice cooker for the first time in a while. Usually I put proso in a stew in the slow cooker, or maybe in a soup. On rare occasion in oatmeal.

In the rice cooker (these days I use a small one) it gave off a nice grain aroma with a bit of nuttness - the typical description you'll read about proso's taste. I got the water right so it was a good consistency to fluff with a fork.

As expected, the taste was "round" and somewhat nutty. There was a slight sweet aftertaste, which I wasn't expecting. Usually I think of proso as best with savory dishes - so this got me thinking.

I decided to run with the slightly nutty and sweet flavor and ... add nuts. In this case it was some crushed pecans, which have their own sweetness. It was a nice combination, actually. Next time I might put the crushed pecans in the cooker with the proso. That could actually make a quick breakfast with milk or yoghurt and some fruit. Or else maybe a sweeter side in a later meal.

So, considering the two "cousins" - proso (Panicum mileacium) & little millet (P. sumatrense) - proso is rounder, "nuttier," and slightly sweeter, while little is higher, flatter, and a bit earthy. Both good and both mild, but more different than I expected. Little may be the one to use for or with savory dishes, while proso may have a wider range (for those who can really cook or bake).

Anyway, I learned something.

DO, EL, MI, US