Millet is not just for the birds.

Although it is also widely known to be used as bird seed, millet can be cooked as a delicious grain to be added to your whole grain diet. Millet will remain fresh for over a year when stored in a cool, dark place in an air-tight container.

The amazingly long-lived people, the Hunzas in Manchuria, use millet as a staple grain in their diets. For this reason it has gained escalating attention from scientists studying their way of life. Considered to be one of the five sacred grains by the Chinese, millet is exceptionally rich in B vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Across the globe millet is ground into flour for flatbreads and other baked goods. It is made into porridge, added to soups, and used for stuffing or to make all kinds of patties and croquettes. Millet can be cooked in a broth or water base just as rice and fluffed with a fork much like couscous. Cooked a bit longer with more liquid, it serves as a perfect binder for veggie burgers.

Technorati Tags: millet, grain, flour, protein