Sorghum

A cereal plant that is native to Africa, but is cultivated in many parts of the world. Sorghum is sometimes confused with millet. The plant is similar to other cereal grasses in that it has leaves that are long and flat and grain heads that have a feathery appearance. There are several varieties that are cultivated with some growing to a height of 20 feet, however most are much shorter, making harvesting easier. Sorghum grows in a variety of climates and seems to thrive in hot, arid locations. The grain ranges in color from white to red depending on the variety of sorghum grown. The white grain is generally used as a food source and the red grain is used for brewing beer. Sorghum grain has a sweet, nutty flavor that is delicious when steamed or added to soups and casseroles.

In the United States, most of the sorghum is used for animal fodder and syrup production with very little of the grain used as food. The grain is much more popular India and China and it is especially popular in some of the arid African nations where it is a staple food crop. The grain is often milled into flour, but it lacks gluten, so it isn’t suitable for making yeast breads. In India, it is often used for chapatis, which is a popular unleavened flatbread.