ancient grains

A bowl of tsampa flour pictured with other dishes in a typical Tibetan lunch. Counterclockwise from left: potatoes in turmeric and cumin; liangfen; mung bean jelly and spring onions with cilantro, triple-fried in red chili pepper; and black tea. To make <

Tsampa: The Tibetan Cereal That Helped Spark An Uprising

7:00am June 23, 2019

by Susie Neilson

This roasted barley flour has been a Tibetan staple for centuries. When China annexed Tibet in the 1950s, tsampa became a rallying point for the resistance. But will it catch on in America?

Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, delves into the early history of fermentation in his latest book.

Meet The Indiana Jones Of Ancient Ales And Extreme Beverages

3:35pm June 30, 2017

by Courtney Columbus

Patrick McGovern searches for and studies the residues of fermented drinks that can be thousands of years old — and then re-creates them. His new book explores these brews and their cultural value.

Close-up of tzoallis being made during a summer nutrition workshop held by Puente a la Salud, a group based in Oaxaca, Mexico, that is helping to push an amaranth comeback. An ancient Aztec staple, tzoallis are made of amaranth and corn flour, agave honey

Why Mexican Chefs, Farmers And Activists Are Reviving The Ancient Grain Amaranth

4:21pm May 01, 2017

by Nancy Matsumoto

The nutritious indigenous plant is part of a movement to revive native crops and cuisines — and a means of restoring the health and economy of Oaxaca, one of Mexico's poorest states.

Matthew Blair, a researcher at Tennessee State University, examines different varieties of amaranth growing in the university's experimental fields.

National

The Aztecs Once Revered It. Will You Fall For Amaranth, Too?

3:25pm August 25, 2016

by Emily Siner

Hardier than corn, this ancient grain has a subtle, nutty flavor and is full of nutrients. But for most Americans, amaranth is still obscure. Researchers in Tennessee hope to change that.

An illustration shows spikes of different types of wheat: (1) Polish wheat (2) Club wheat (3) Common bread wheat (4) Poulard wheat (5) Durum wheat (6) Spelt (7) Emmer (8) Einkorn.

Nothing Says 'Hip' Like Ancient Wheat

4:17pm June 27, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Many consumers in North America and Europe are willing to pay a premium for nutritious, organic grains. That makes the market ripe for a revival of millennia-old bread wheat, some plant breeders say.

Millet isn't just one grain but, rather, a ragbag group of small-seeded grasses. Hardy, gluten-free and nutritious, millet has become an "it" grain in recent years.

Science

Millet: How A Trendy Ancient Grain Turned Nomads Into Farmers

6:13pm December 23, 2015

by Jeremy Cherfas

Hardy, nutritious and gluten-free, millet has become an "it" grain in recent years. Research reveals our ancestors relied on it: Millet was central to the rise of agriculture and farming communities.

In a village outside of Jenin, in the West Bank, Palestinian farmers harvest wheat early and burn the husks to yield the smoky, nutty grain known as freekeh.

Game For Ancient Grain: Palestinians Find Freekeh Again

7:03am May 26, 2015

by Daniella Cheslow

The young, roasted form of wheat has been eaten in the Middle East for millennia. But over time many Palestinians replaced it with rice. Now it's becoming a nutritious, native food worthy of pride.

The new box of Cheerios + Ancient grains cereal.

Fringe No More: 'Ancient Grains' Will Soon Be A Cheerios Variety

10:26am December 10, 2014

by Dan Charles

General Mills helped define the industrial era of American breakfasting with its ringlets of processed oats. Soon, it'll put out a version with "ancient grains," which aren't, actually, very ancient.