Reply to WSJ article on "millet" having "no taste"
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
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@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@lists.millets2023.space https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab
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@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni@snacktivistfoods.com> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2024 9:30 AM To: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> Cc: collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@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@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@milletsalliance.org<mailto:don@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@lists.millets2023.space<mailto:Collab@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.
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@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@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni@snacktivistfoods.com> *Sent:* Monday, March 25, 2024 9:30 AM *To:* Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> *Cc:* collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@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@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@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@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.
participants (3)
-
Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS -
Don Osborn -
Joni Kindwall-Moore