Grains (& Cereals)
(and Nuts and Seeds)
VRQ2 Theory
Unit 712
UPK 712
What is a Grain?
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A Grain is, by definition, the seed of grass type
plants
They are the means for the plant to reproduce
it self
The grain meets all the requirements to be a
seed; an embryonic part, food supply and
protective outer covering.
They can be placed into 3 groups; Legumes,
Nuts and Grains
The importance of Grains
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Grains were probably one of the first food
crops to be cultivated by man
They are hardy and can survive in dry
conditions (except Rice)
They do not contain any defensive chemicals
Their method of survival is by overwhelming
numbers of seeds that they generate
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Barley, Wheat, Oats and Rye are the main
grain crops in Europe
Rice is the main Grain crop in Asia
Corn (or Maize) is the main Grain Crop in the
Americas
Sorghum and Millet the main Grains in Africa
Structure of Rice
Types of Rice
Basmati Rice
Wild Rice
Valencia/Paella Rice
Calasparra
Carnaroli
Carmargue Red
Bomba
Nutrition of Grains
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Grains are a good source of
B vitamins which are found
in the Bran, which is usually
removed
They are rich in Starch (the
main nutritional part) which
are a good source of steady
energy
High in Soluble and
Insoluble fibre
Can help lower blood
cholesterol and moderate
blood sugar levels
Problems with Grains
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Grains are a common cause of allergic reactions
This is the body’s overreaction to a component of
food; the body thinks that the food component is a
bacterium or virus and so attacks it
This reaction is mainly due to proteins, such as
Gluten, found in Wheat, Barley, Rye and maybe Oats
(Celiac/Coeliac)
Rice, Corn, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, Sorghum do
not contain Gluten, so are safe for Coeliac’s
Grain Cookery - Rice
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All grains contain 2 types of starch, Amylose
and Amylopectin
Amylose is a straight chain composed of
glucose (~1000) molecules with few branches
Amylopectin is a large branched molecule
composed of 5000-20,000 glucose molecules
Because Amylose is compact, the cooked
result is firm
Amylopectin cannot order themselves like
Amylose, so the cooked result is “sticky”
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When you cook rice, you add water and bring to the
boil, this causes the starches to absorb water and
begin to separate out, giving the appearance of getting
“plumper”
Steaming rice takes longer, as the rice need to be
soaked first, generally used as a regen method.
This is called Gelation or Gelatinisation, it has
nothing to do with gelatin, but is referring to the
formation of a Gel
The rices that have high Amylose content require
more water and heat to separate, than the rice's that
have a high Amylopectin content
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Risotto-Italy
Made using Short Grain
Rice (high in
Amylopectin)
Ratio of Stock to Rice is
3:1
Need to stir constantly
to prevent sticking and
to create the creamy
consistency
As the rice absorbs the
water, it concentrates
the other flavours
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Pilaff/Pilau – India
Made using Long Grain
Rice (high in Amylose)
Ratio of Stock to Rice is
2:1
Need to cook covered in
oven or on stove top, to
maintain moisture
Need to be precise in
quantity of Stock used
or rice will become too
soft
Stir Frying
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Pre cooked long grain
rice is best, cool
overnight.
Allows the rice time to
harden up, prevents
sticking
Egg in first, then other
veg/meat/spices
Finish with
pepper/sesame oil
Grain Cookery - Buckwheat
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Buckwheat is a
Pseudocereal, in that it
is not related to wheat
The seed is ground
down after hulling into
the characteristic
Brown/Grey Flour
Main producer is Russia
used like wheatflour,
most famously for
Blinis
Structure of Wheat
Grain Cookery - Semolina
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Semolina is derived
from Wheat Flour
production
After the bran and germ
has been removed, and
the grains milled, they
are sifted to retain
particles of the
appropriate size for
semolina
This is also the first
stage for Cous Cous
Semolina
Semolina Gnocchi
Semolina
Cake
Grain Cookery – Cous Cous
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Cous Cous is Semolina
that has been moistened
and rolled into wheat
Flour
Middle Eastern and
North African in Origin
Raw Cous Cous is
Soaked then Steamed
Precooked Cous Cous
needs only to be
rehydrated in boiling
stock
Cous Cous
Salad
Lamb Tagine
Stuffed Pepper
Structure of Corn
Grain Cookery - Corn
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Most common in
Europe is Polenta, dried
corn that is ground to a
coarse flour
In the Americas, it is
eaten young as a
vegetable or treated
with an alkaline solution
to remove its hull, wet
ground and made into
tortillas.
Polenta/Corn
meal
Polenta
Corn Tortillas
Nuts
Peanut/Almond
Macadamia Nut
Sesame
Lentils
Chickpeas
Questions ????