Additional information
Packsize | 4/5 KG |
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The traditional Valencia rice, round short grain ‘Paella Rice’from Valencia (used to make paella). It is characterized by its great capacity of absorption and the creamy texture of the grain after being cooked. A perfect choice for typical Mediterranean dishes as rissoto, rice dishes.
Black Lentils are a very popular legume in South Asia, they are used to make a beautiful black lentil soup. Black Beluga Lentils are 1/2 cm. wide with a mild, earthly flavor and soft texture. This tiny lens shaped pulse has traditionally been used as a meat substitute (A pulse is the dried seed of any legume, such as beans and peas). Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and are dried after harvesting.
Suggested Use:
The quick cooking and nutritious nature of lentils make them an obvious choice for winter soups. They’re delicious in chilled vegetable salads, or mix with bread crumbs, minced onion and garlic to stuff roasted red peppers or eggplant.
Basic Prep:
Lentils do not require soaking. Simmer 1 cup lentils with 4 cups water 12 minutes for salads, 20 to 30 minutes for main dishes, drain. Skim the water while cooking. One cup dry yields 2 cups cooked.
Kasha, or buckwheat groats, is native to central Asia and was introduced to Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. Perhaps due to its long history and travel across continents, the term kasha has come to refer to a variety of cereal-type products. In America, the term refers to roasted buckwheat groats, which have a toasty, nutty flavour. In Russia, kasha is used in a broader sense for a variety of cooked grains, including buckwheat, millet and oats. Buckwheat kasha is not a true cereal, since it is not a grass. Its kernels are actually achenes, which are dry fruits similar to the seeds of strawberries. While buckwheat may be known to many, particularly as a flour in pancakes and other specialty items, this month we will focus on kasha, a nutritious and tasty alternative to better-known grains.
Einkorn, literally meaning “single grain” in German, was first cultivated five to ten thousand years ago. Einkorn is an ancient grain that is not yet commonly known in the western world, but used often in the Mediterranean region and in the mountainous areas of Europe. This grain is slightly finicky, completely delicious, good for you, has a slight yellowish tinge, and smells (and even looks) a little like corn flour. Unlike modern wheat which has a long history of hybridization, einkorn is a “diploid”, containing only two chromosomes unlike the modern cousin, which contains six, making it a “hexaploid”. Einkorn is packed with nutrition. It is a rich source of the beta carotene lutein, a powerful antioxidant. Einkorn has the highest amounts of lutein of any other variety of wheat. Einkorn is also a rich source of tocotrienols and tocopherols, powerful antioxidants and forms of Vitamin E. Compared to modern wheat varieties, einkorn has higher levels of protein, crude fat, phosphorous, and potassium.
Polenta is a popular food dish that has long been common in Italian and other European cuisine, but has recently gained attention in the United States as well. It is made from ground cornmeal, which is then boiled in water to create a porridge-like substance.
Barley was one of the first crops cultivated by man, and has been used as a food since Biblical times. Today, barley is still considered an excellent source of soluble fiber. With a higher beta-glucan content than oats, barley can be effective in lowering serum cholesterol levels. Barley also contains fiber, protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins. It’s low in fat and has no cholesterol. Although pearled barley is commonly used in soups, barley can be milled into various fractions, producing different cuts, pearls, flours, grits and flakes.