Sorghum is a member of grass family, of which some are raised for grain and many are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. It has been grown in India for about 4,000 years, and has been a major crop in Africa for even longer. Sorghum was used as a staple food in China before the introduction of rice. Sorghum recipes are the principle sources dishes which have protein, vitamins and minerals which form the major part of daily nutrition. In West Africa this grain is known as great millet and guinea corn, kafir corn in South Africa, solam in Tamil, dura in Sudan, jowar in Hindi whereas kaoliang in China. Sorghum has important usages in the culinary field in this modern era. In Arab cuisine it holds an important place as Sorghum recipes are widely used there. It is used in the preparation of soups porridges, couscous and cakes. It is even used to make breads by mixing with starch. It has wide uses from being served as a fodder to cattle and poultry to medicinal uses of its plant.
Origin of Sorghum
Most of the cultivated varieties of sorghum are often traced back to Africa, where they are grown on savanna lands and the historians believe it to be taken to India from eastern Africa during the first millennium BC( around 1000 BC).
Methods of Preparation of Sorghum Dishes
Sorghum is used in the number of recipes and it finds place in almost all varieties of cuisines from all over the world. It can be used in innumerable ways by combining with many different types of grains and cereals. Some of the most common recipes are baked bread, steamed bread, Biscuits (cookies). It is even independently used like Sorghum/pearl millet rice, Thin Porridge etc. The grain is also used in the manufacture of both fermented and non-fermented drinks.
Owing to their high protein and vitamin content Sorghum recipes provide essential nutrition to the body thus making it more popular in the kitchens of almost every household.
Cuisines Commonly Making Dishes of Sorghum
Sorghum recipes are getting increasingly popular in United Sates especially in American food. Traditionally it has been used as a major cereal ingredient to create pancakes, porridges, cookies and flatbreads throughout different types of cousins. It is used as the jowar rote in India which is extremely popular here as a major source of nutrition. In the United States it is becoming more common to use Sorghum flour in baked recipes. It is often added or substituted in any recipe as a flour component such as cookies, cakes, breads and muffins.
Nutritional Benefits of Sorghum Dishes
The major reason of the grain being promoted as a health ingredient is that sorghum is gluten-free. Some people have a tendency to eat gluten-free foods because of its quality of mild intolerance thus making the diet essential for those who are suffering from celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disorder originating due to the reaction to gluten that results in the malabsorption of nutrients as well as other complications like severe abdominal pain and other related symptoms. Ones suffering from celiac disease must include a balanced gluten-free diet of Sorghum recipes ideal for cooking. It is also a cheaper source of nutritional benefits in poorer countries as it makes the dish higher in protein and lowers in vitamin A.
Types of Sorghum
There are different varieties of sorghum that are cultivated and commonly found in the markets. Currently there are five different types which are grown. They are Grain sorghum, Forage sorghum, Sudan grass, Sorghum-sudangrass, Sorghum-alum. Each one of it has different characteristics o its own making kit distinguishable from one another.
Grain sorghum- This sorghum is a dwarf variety that grow 2 to 5 ft tall for easier combining.
Forage sorghum-It grows 6 to 12 ft tall in height is generally coarse stemmed and used for silage.
Sudan grass- This sorghum is fine stemmed in nature used as fresh pastures or green feed during mid-summer.
Sorghum sudangrass-These are hybrids resulting from a cross between the two forage types which have intermediate yield potential also used for pasture, hay and even silage.
Non-food usages
Apart from Sorghum recipes and its usage in the making of beverages. Sorghum straws can also be as an excellent wall board for building of houses. It is also used in packaging industry as biodegradable agent. It is used as packaging materials for electronic equipment which are sensitive in nature as it does not accumulate energy and used to produce ethanol thus also contributing in the energy sector.
Trivia
In today’s world the largest producers of sorghum are the countries like U.S., China and India, thus majorly contributing in its production and making it more widely and easy available to all the people who consider this grain as a means of daily diet.