This year, my secret ingredient can finally be proudly served: The United Nations has named 2023 the Year of Millets to highlight the long-overlooked staple and its crucial role in food security.
Humans have been eating millet, a nutritious whole grain with small round seeds, for millennia. In fact, long strands of noodles made with millet were found in China, dating back about 4000 years — no small feat because the gluten-free grain can make for a fragile dough. To this day, across Africa, India and northern China, an array of different types of millet is grown and eaten. Before the arrival of corn and potatoes from the Americas in the 16th century, the grains were also central to diets throughout Europe, including Italy and Germany.
Millets are climate-resilient: They are drought-tolerant, can adapt to climate shocks and thrive in poor soil. The staple has among the lowest water needs of any grain crop, essential to farmers in a world with a rapidly changing climate.
In the past decade, the grain has started to emerge from obscurity, thanks to our interest in all things gluten-free. Millets are considered nutrient-dense, with variations in their nutritional profile, depending on the species: Proso millet, for example, typically sold in the United States, is an excellent source of manganese and copper. It is also a good source of fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals such as folate, niacin, magnesium and vitamin B6, among others. Eating more millet is not only good for the planet, but also good for you.
But good intentions and good nutrition will only take you so far at the table. Unless your breakfast or dinner dish sings, chances are you won’t go back for seconds. Which is why I came up with my stealth serving technique in the first place.
As a culinary staple, millet has a lot going for it: Its flavor is mild and it can be on the table in about 20 minutes, depending on freshness, making it as quick as white rice. Unlike slightly toothsome quinoa, the grain cooks up pleasingly supple, which might be appealing to children. And millet is immensely versatile, taking on any aroma you throw at it, both savory and sweet. One of my favorite comfort foods is fluffy, steamed, lightly salted millet with a nice slab of butter melted right into the center. A fragrant olive oil is equally divine.
Millet gives you lots of mileage throughout a busy workweek. Just as with beans, you can cook a large pot over the weekend and refrigerate it for up to a week. Use leftover millet, like couscous or bulgur, as a base for salad, to add body to soup or as a foundation in a casserole.
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