Armaranth:
The seeds of this plant can be ground into a flour, or puffed into snacks. It was once grown in Mexico and south and central America, but legend has it that this was a staple of Aztec culture until the conquistadors came in the 14th century and banished the crop. Although Armaranth plants can be grown in gardens with little attention, the seeds are very tiny, so harvesting can be difficult
Buckwheat:
Buckwheat was once raised in China, but made it’s way to the United States through Europe. Most buckwheat flours don’t contain fat, so they keep very well. It can be cooked as a cereal as well as ground into flour, and is commonly found in breakfast pancakes and waffles. It has a slightly astringent flavor, and is closely related to rhubarb.
Millet:
A grain of the grass family, millet was orignally used to feed animals. Millet has a far higher nutritional value than rice, and some even say higher than wheat. It makes a mild flour, and contains about the same amount of fat as wheat. It’s in the same family as corn, rice, and sorghum
Montina:
Discovered as a wild grass in Montana, this gluten-free grain has a bland taste similar to rice. However, Montina is high in insoluble fiber, and works well in baking with a lot of flavors (for example, chocolate or coffee.) Montina is closely related to wild rice and the corn family.
Quinoa:
Originally from the Andes, this was a staple in the diet of the Inca Indians, and the seed has an extremely bitter coating that must be washed off before eating. When cooked, quinoa has a nutritional value much higher than that of rice. Unfortuantely, quinoa requires high altitudes, hot days, and cold nights to be grown, so it’s relatively uncommon in our markets.
Sorghum:
Sorghum was the first “exotic” grain to become commonly found in gluten free-products. Although it’s been used in the US for animal feed since the mid 1900s, it only recently became bred as more refined grain to be used as a flour eaten by humans. Sorghum is in the same family as sugar cane, rice, and corn.
Teff (also known as tef)
Teff has a wheat-like taste. It originally came from Ethiopia, where it was commonly used to make flatbread. It’s more nutritious than wheat, and also has a higher fat content, so it must be kept in a freezer. It has a very high iron content. It’s related to the rice family, corn, millet, and sorghum.
