Making its way onto the American dining table is the new ‘wonder grain’ – Sorghum. One of the ancient grains, sorghum is a native of the African dry plains. Though until recently it has been mainly used as animal feed, gradually the food grain has gained popularity in the consumer food industry as well. Mildly nutty flavored, sorghum is not only packed with essential nutrients but is also gluten-free.
Wondering why sorghum is the new wonder grain?
With brown rice, millet, and quinoa reigning as the superfood of the decade, it is a pleasant surprise to see how sorghum has emerged as the new food grain to look out for. Heavy plating of millets, has driven the masses to find a food item which is as nourishing and as delicious as the existing wonder grains. And this is how dietitians and food experts seem to have stumbled upon sorghum’s nutritional value.
Here’s what makes sorghum a wonder grain:
- Rich in protein and fiber
- Massively rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory qualities
- Fat content is quite less, especially when compared to quinoa
- Has anti-diabetic effect as it improves insulin production in the body
- Non-GMO food
- Contains anthocyanins – a photochemical which help fight cardiovascular diseases and cancer
Thus, it is sorghum’s versatility which makes it an exciting addition to one’s everyday diet. From using as a garnish on your salads, baking pizza base, to popping it up just like corns – this super food can be a part of your everyday diet in a variety of ways.
A promising future for sorghum cultivators
It is not just due to its nutritional value that sorghum is all geared for a promising future. Rather, this drought-tolerant crop has emerged as a vital source of bioethanol. At this point, when world leaders are looking for ways to meet the rising demand for fuel in an environment-friendly manner, sorghum holds a huge potential to change the way we consume fossil fuels. Another application of the plant is in waste water purification and production of food coloring products. Most of all, very recently, a group of researchers built further on the colorant property of sorghum and used it as a textile dying agent. The results of this test have been excellent, with clothes withstanding around 30 cycles of laundering. Thus, sorghum is one wonder grain which has several applications.
Due to its immense usability, market analysts at Technavio expect the global market for sorghum to post an impressive CAGR and robust growth by 2021. Major vendors like Archer Daniels Midland and Chromatin are aggressively investing in R&D activities to come up with distinct products and gain an edge over the competitors.
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