Quinoa (gluten free)

Quinoa is an ancient crop which fed the Central American Aztec Indians for thousands of years, and which has recently been cultivated in Britain. Unlike most grains, it does not belong to the grass family, but is a relative of the garden weed called Fat Hen. It is very nutritious, containing between 13-14% protein with a good amino acid composition but has no gluten so it cannot be used for bread making. Instead, it is cooked for 15 minutes in 1:3 parts water and served as a side dish or may be used in risotto, pilaf, vegetable stuffing etc.

Rice (gluten-free)

Rice is one of the world's most important crops. It originated in Asia but is now grown throughout the humid, sub-tropical regions. It differs from most other cereals in requiring land that is submerged in water to grow, though some varieties do grow in upland areas. Rice is a good source of carbohydrate but doesn't have quite as much protein as some other cereals (6.5g per 100g). Unpolished rice (i.e. wholegrain/brown rice) is a good source of B vitamins too. There are three basic kinds in culinary terms: long, medium and short grain. Long used traditionally in savory dishes, short in dessert cooking, although this varies across the globe and it is really a matter of personal preference. Long wholegrain rice needs to cook in 1:2 parts water for 35-40 minutes. Rice flour is available but because of the lack of gluten, it cannot be used to make a yeasted loaf but can be used for cakes, biscuits and pancakes. Rice flakes (brown and white) can be added to muesli or made into a milk pudding or porridge.

Wild Rice

Wild rice is not rice at all but an American grass used as an important food by the Indians and early settlers. Difficulty in harvesting makes it expensive, but the colour, a purplish black and its subtly nutty flavour make it a good base for a special dish and it can be economically mixed with other rices, but may need pre-cooking as it takes 45-50 minutes to cook in 1:3 parts of water.

4. Answer the following questions:

1. Quinoa is an ancient crop, isn’t it?

2. Why is wild rice expensive?

3. How long should wild rice be cooked?

4. Is whole or pot barley more nutritious?

5. What cereal is used mostly as animal feed?

6. What is a delicious alternative to rice? Why?

7. Do you confuse cornmeal with highly refined corn starch?

5. Which of the following words are nouns? verbs? adjectives? adverbs? Why?

Long, humid, differ, difficulty, crop, gluten, muesli, popcorn, make, found, short, milk, varies, true, cereal, member, relate, sorrels, docks, early, more, usually, shops, whole, always.