Various species of the grain Amaranth are widely used in Africa, Asia and South America in interesting ways. It is an inexpensive crop to cultivate because it can be harvested easily, grows rapidly, has high yield, can grow in arid environments but most importantly is “an excellent source of proteins and essential amino acids like Lysine, has high fiber content and is a good source of minerals like Iron and Magnesium ”. In the grain form interesting dishes like amaranth popcorn and other sweet dishes are made. It is also be used in granola, energy bars (AllerEnergy, allergy friendly energy bars are awesome, www.allerenergy.com ), soups and breakfast cereal. The grain can be ground into flour and used to make tortillas, breads and other baked goods. Substitute a part of your flour mixture with Amaranth flour to pack in the proteins.

Amaranth greens are also widely used as a leafy vegetable in large parts in India, China and other South-East Asian countries because they are a good source of vitamins (A, B, C and K).

Storage: When you store amaranth at home, it needs to be protected in a couple of ways. First, it needs to be protected from little critters like Weevils and rodents. Second, the grain should be stored in a dry place. In the US, companies like “Pleasant Hill Grain” sell amaranth in airtight containers. According to their website, ‘Mylar liners and oxygen absorber packets remove the oxygen from the air in the bucket after we put the lid on. The O2 absorbers leave an atmosphere of nitrogen in the bucket. Our buckets safely lock out pests, and biological processes are put “on hold” in the Mylar protected, oxygen-free nitrogen atmosphere.’ Their website goes on to say, ‘ In whole-grain foods, the plant’s cellular walls protect nutrients from oxidation. The process of oxidation begins to occur as soon as grain is ground, exposing the cell’s contents to oxygen in the air. Flour that is several days old, has been exposed to oxygen that inevitably diminishes its nutritional value. The way to get full nutrition from whole grain foods is to mill them when you need them, right in your kitchen.’

Availability:

1) An excellent resource for Amaranth based products is ‘Nu-World Foods’ (www.nuworldamaranth.com). They offer a great selection of Amaranth breads, snacks, cereals and more.

2) Amazon: Amaranth Flour, 1 lb., Arrowhead Mills Amaranth Flakes, 12-Ounce Unit (Pack of 6), Bob’s Red Mill Organic, 100% Stone Ground Amaranth, 22-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4), Organic Amaranth Seeds- 1 Lbs- Grain Seed for Sprouting Sprouts, Cooking, Grinding For Flour, Soup, Food Storage & More

3) www.pleasanthillgrain.com

4) Health food stores  like Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.com), Fountain of Vitality etc.

Sources: The information has been collected from various sources like Wikipedia, www.pleasanthillgrain.com, www.nutsonline.com, www.nuworldamaranth.com.

Further Reading: I found this article on Amaranth a very useful read – ’a Healthy Grain for Vegetarian Recipes – http://www.chetday.com/amaranth.html’

About: Teff is a cereal grain native to Northeastern Africa and Southwestern Arabia. Teff is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass, native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of northeastern Africa. Common names include taff, lovegrass, annual bunch grass. It is now cultivated in the US too particularly in Idaho. The demand for teff has grown in recent years due to the ease of cultivation, gluten-free attribute and superior nutritional content. It is adapted to environments ranging from drought stress to waterlogged soil conditions. Maximum teff production occurs at altitudes of 1800 to 2100 m, growing season rainfall of 450 to 550 mm, and a temperature range of 10 to 27 °C. Teff is day length sensitive and flowers best with 12 hours of daylight.

Today, it is easily available, in the form of flour and whole grain form in most health food stores. The grain has a very mild, nutty flavor, and is  amazingly nutritious and versatile. It is high in dietary fiber and iron and a good source of good quality complex carbohydrates, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, boron, magnesium, aluminum, barium, and thiamin. A big advantage, the iron from teff is easily absorbed by the body. Teff is also considered to have an excellent amino acid composition (including all 8 essential amino acids for humans) and has lysine levels higher than wheat or barley. Because of this variety, it stimulates the flora of the large intestine. Most importantly, it contains no gluten, so it is appropriate for those who have a wheat allergy and those suffering from celiac disease. White teff is relatively more nutriotious than the red colored variety.  Along with other alternative grains like quinoa and millet, teff has become a staple.

There are a number of ways to use teff. In Ethiopia, teff is the primary ingredient in injera, a type of fermented bread, a staple of Ethiopian cuisine. Teff can also be ground into flour to make an excellent gluten-free flour alternative. It can be used effectively t o make pie crusts, cookies, breads, and an assortment of other baked goods. Teff can also be eaten whole and steamed, boiled, or baked as a side dish or a main course or used as a thickener.
I have personally used it in breads, cookies, pancakes and tortillas with great success.

Availability: Some of the companies that offer teff are Shiloh Farms (http://www.shilohfarms.com) and Bob’s red Mill (http://www.bobsredmill.com).  Teff is available in most health food stores like Fountain of Vitality and Whole Foods and through online stores like Amazon. Here are links to some of the products available through the Amazon store:

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Teff Flour, 24-Ounce,Packages (Pack of 4)

Ivory Teff Grain, 1 lb.

Shelf Life: If stored in cool, dry and dark conditions – it will keep for about a year.

www.wisegeek.com and www.wikipedia.com are good online sources for further information about teff.

What is rice flour? Raw rice is ground finely to get rice flour.  Brown rice flour is got got from unhulled rice and white rice flour is obtained from dehusked rice.  http://www.wisegeek.com

It is easily available in health food stores like Fountain of Vitality and Whole Foods and online stores like Amazon.com. Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills are good sources of gluten-free white rice flour and brown rice flour. Follow the following links to some of the products in the Amazon store:

Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour, Organic, 24-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Flour, 24-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

Arrowhead Mills Brown Rice Flour, 2 Pound Bags (Pack of 4)

It is also available in Indian stores because rice flour is widely used in Indian cooking.