Sorghum - Ther Versatile, Gluten-Free Whole Grain
Did you know sorghum is a healthy whole grain? Not only is it good for you, but sorghum is also gluten-free, a food quality that is providing new market potential for growers.
The Sorghum Checkoff is working to create awareness among food companies and consumers alike, while developing relationships with major users of flour to encourage the use of sorghum flour in gluten-free baking.
The Sorghum Checkoff recently launched a new "microsite" aimed at educating consumers about sorghum's value as a healthy, whole grain, gluten-free food option. The site, www.HealthySorghum.com, outlines the key nutritional components of sorghum, provides sorghum recipes, and lists useful information on how to cook with sorghum.
To create awareness among some of the nation’s top food editors, the Sorghum Checkoff hosted a test kitchen seminar at the Meredith Publishing headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. Meredith publishes several respected consumer magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens and Diabetic Living. During the test kitchen, Carol Fenster, author of nine gluten-free cookbooks, demonstrated how to make blueberry sorghum muffins to a captive and interested audience of 15 editors.
“I grew up on a sorghum farm in Eastern Nebraska, never dreaming that sorghum would eventually become a mainstay in my gluten-free diet,” said Fenster, who is sensitive to gluten. “I use sorghum flour in all of my cookbooks because its light color and mild taste make it just as versatile as the rice flours typically used in gluten-free food---but far more nutritious.”
Like amaranth, quinoa, and teff, Fenster said sorghum is an ancient grain that receives attention in gluten-free cookbooks and magazines, yet sorghum is less well-known in mainstream publications.
“It is important that we educate magazine publishers, such as Meredith with its well-known mainstream magazines about this important grain so they can write about it in articles that reach a larger number of readers.”
Sorghum is naturally high in fiber and iron. It is also rich in antioxidants, which are believed to help lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and some neurological diseases. It can also be used a healthy alternative to wheat for those with an intolerance to gluten. Currently, there are more than 3 million Americans with gluten intolerances, which creates an increasing demand for gluten-free food products like sorghum.