Discovering Sorghum

Over the summer at the market and at different shows I have been to, people are curious as to what Sorghum is and why I like to use it in my baking. I have found that it is really one of the best gluten-free grains to use and provides some of the best nutritional value for long term health on a gluten-free diet.

Sorghum Plant - image from pixabay

As an ancient grain originating thousands of years ago, sorghum (also known as Jowar) is a non-GMO plant that is actually the fifth most produced crop in the World. Native to Africa, Australia, India and other Southeast Asian countries, sorghum is grown as a feed source for animals, to produce ethanol for fuel and is gaining popularity in gluten-free foods. It can be cooked like quinoa, milled into flour, flaked like oats or popped like popcorn as well as converted into syrup to sweeten foods. This heat-tolerant, drought-resistant crop is now grown in the United States and we use the white and yellow varieties for baking because of their mild flavour.

So now the part about why I really like using sorghum as compared to rice in my baking.

1. High Nutritional Value - with 22 grams of protein per cup, it makes up for the starches we need to use in our baking that are high in carbohydrates to give you a more balanced flour mix. It is also an excellent source of fibre, has a low glycemic index and is a good source of magnesium for bone health.

2. Rich in Vitamins and Minerals - Celiacs and others on gluten-free diet often have low about of vitamin D, iron, B vitamins, calcium, zinc, copper and other vitamins. Sorghum to the rescue! Let’s look at the nutrition it provides. In a half cup, you get:

   ~ Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 26% of the Daily Value (DV)

   ~ Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 7% of the DV

   ~ Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 7% of the DV

   ~ Vitamin B6: 25% of the DV

   ~ Copper: 30%of the DV

   ~ Iron: 18% of the DV

   ~ Magnesium: 37% of the DV

   ~ Phosphorus: 22% of the DV

   ~ Potassium: 7% of the DV

   ~ Zinc: 14% of the DV

3. Rich in Antioxidants - whole grain sorghum has a variety of beneficial phytochemicals which have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes and some neurological diseases. The sorghum flour I use in my baking is whole grain, non-GMO.

Whole Sorghum - image from pixabay

So after all of these great things, why wouldn’t you want to eat more sorghum? With its gaining popularity you can look for it in more products and know that you are doing something good for your body.

The flour mix for Rosy’s vegan sorghum loaf and buns contain almost 50% sorghum to bring you all of these benefits in a tasty and versatile bread. Our family uses it to eat fresh, toast, make croutons, stuffing and it works great for grilled cheese sandwiches. We bake a fresh batch every week, or you can do the baking at home with our bread mix that you can even use in your bread maker!

Baked fresh Sorghum Loaf at Rosy’s Kitchen