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PENMART01
 
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Default Grain Sorghum/milo - whats it used for

>Gregory Toomey writes:
>
>Here in Australia we grown millions of tonnes of sorghum (otherwise known as
>milo) as a grain crop. But I cant recall it being listed as an ingredient
>in any recipe/commercial product.
>
>So does anybody have a recipe/know what its used for?



Encyclopædia Britannica

sorghum

cereal grain plant of the family Gramineae (Poaceae), probably originating in
Africa, and its edible starchy seeds. All types raised chiefly for grain belong
to the species Sorghum vulgare, which includes varieties of grain sorghums and
grass sorghums, grown for hay and fodder, and broomcorn, used in making brooms
and brushes. Grain sorghums include durra, milo, shallu, kafir corn, Egyptian
corn, great millet, and Indian millet. In India sorghum is known as jowar,
cholam, or jonna; in West Africa as Guinea corn; and in China as kaoliang.
Sorghum is especially valued in hot and arid regions for its resistance to
drought and heat.

The strong grass usually grows to a height of 2 to 8 feet (0.5 to 2.5 m),
sometimes reaching as high as 15 feet (4.5 m). Stalks and leaves are coated
with a white waxy bloom, and the pith, or central portion, of the stalks of
certain varieties is juicy and sweet. The leaves are about 2 inches (5 cm)
broad and 2 1/2 feet (0.75 m) long, and the panicles, or flower clusters, range
from loose to dense, bearing 800€“3,000 kernels. The seeds vary widely among
different types in colour, shape, and size, but they are smaller than those of
the wheat plant.

Sorghum is of a lower feed quality than corn (maize). It is high in
carbohydrates, with 10 percent protein and 3.4 percent fat, and contains
calcium and small amounts of iron, vitamin B1, and nicotinic acid. The grain is
usually ground into a meal that is made into porridge, flatbreads, and cakes.
The characteristic strong flavour can be reduced by processing. The grain is
also used in making edible oil, starch, dextrose (a sugar), paste, and
alcoholic beverages. The stalks are used as fodder and building materials.
Sweet sorghums, or sorgos, are grown mainly in the United States and southern
Africa for forage and for syrup manufacture. In some countries the sweet stalks
are chewed.

Sorghum, one of Africa's major cereal grains, is also cultivated in the United
States, India, Pakistan, and northern and northeastern China. Substantial
quantities are grown in Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, Argentina, Australia, and
southern Europe.

Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=70532
[Accessed March 16, 2004].
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