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Buckwheat

Buckwheat

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General Aspects Buckwheat, or Fagopyrum esculentum, is a plant native to central and northeastern Asia. From there, it spread to Europe through Russia and Turkey in the 14th and 15th centuries, and later to North America. Its cultivation peaked in the 19th century, gradually declining up to the present day. However, in recent years, it has experienced growth due to the rise of gluten-free products and the nutritional quality of this grain. Currently, its cultivation is centred in China and…

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Special Rice

Special Rice

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While most of the rice available on the market is white or brown rice of various varieties, there are also other types of rice distinguished by their processing. Let’s talk about them. Parboiled Rice The first of these rice products, and perhaps the most widely marketed worldwide, is parboiled rice, also known as vaporized or precooked rice. The origin of this rice dates back more than 2000 years and became popular in the Indian subcontinent due to its advantages for…

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Millet, Teff, and Fonio

Millet, Teff, and Fonio

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To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how to title this entry, as it’s a confusing topic. I had thought of calling it “African grains,” but some of the grains we’re going to talk about are cultivated in large areas of Asia (in fact, most of the production is concentrated in Asia), and sorghum is an African cereal that has little in common with these. I also considered titling it “small grains,” but the term “small” is quite ambiguous. Lastly,…

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Rice Flour

Rice Flour

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Rice flour does not have any inherent advantages over the use of wheat flour. It is a fairly nutritionally poor white flour, as rice is one of the cereals with the highest starch content. Its protein, fibre, and bioactive substance content are lower compared to other cereal flours. Rice flour also does not contribute any specific aroma or flavour, being quite neutral. Lastly, the cost of rice flour is higher than that of other flours like wheat in Western countries….

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Corn Flour

Corn Flour

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Corn is one of the most cultivated cereals in the world, alongside wheat and rice. However, unlike wheat and rice, its consumption in the form of flour is much less common. The reason for this difference lies in the large amount of corn used for animal feed and industrial production of starch and derived products, some of which are returned to the food industry. There is also a significant amount of corn used for biofuel production. Although food products containing…

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Ancient Wheats

Ancient Wheats

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Wheat has been evolving since its earliest known existence. This evolution has been driven by the demands of both producers and consumers. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in ancient wheats. In this post, we’ll discuss the evolution of wheat and whether this interest is merely a passing trend or has substantial reasons behind it. Evolution of Wheat Varieties The evolution of wheat over time has focused on various aspects, but perhaps the most significant…

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Rice Processing

Rice Processing

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In this post, we’ll discuss rice processing, including its types and varieties, the influence of processing variables, and the different treatments rice can undergo to achieve special characteristics. Rice, alongside wheat and corn, is one of the most consumed cereals worldwide. However, unlike the latter two, rice is usually consumed with minimal processing, either as whole grain or with the bran and germ removed while retaining its original form, typically cooked in abundant water. Regarding the significance of rice cultivation…

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Triticale and Tritordeum

Triticale and Tritordeum

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Both triticale and tritordeum are hybrids of wheat and other cereals. Generally, when a hybrid is created, the aim is to combine the advantages of several cereals. In the case of these hybrids, the goal was to maintain the baking quality of wheat while improving plant resistance to extreme conditions or enhancing nutritional benefits. It’s important to clarify that although these cereals are often mixed up in labels and some articles as ancient wheat varieties, unlike these, hybrids are the…

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Oats: A Unique and Interesting Cereal

Oats: A Unique and Interesting Cereal

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Oats are a very curious and interesting cereal. Yet, at least in Spain, they are not experiencing the success they could. As we will see, this cereal shares similarities with others, but it also has significant differences, both in composition and morphology, that make it very special. Let’s start by highlighting that oats are a husked cereal, like barley or rice (there are also husked wheats, but these are less common). This means that in companies that process oats, specific…

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RYE FLOUR

RYE FLOUR

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Rye is the second most widely used cereal in the world for bread making, after wheat. However, rye protein, although not tolerated by the celiac community, is unable to form a three-dimensional network capable of cohering the dough and retaining the gas formed during fermentation. Rye cultivation is better adapted to adverse climatic conditions (cold) and poorer soils than wheat, so it has traditionally been grown in areas where wheat struggled to adapt. Over 90% of rye produced is cultivated…

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