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