22.05.12
Presume a salt flat at 13,000 ft., carved amid a Bolivian mountain register from an ancient sea. On this vast plateau, only quinoa can grow in the rich mineral pollute and dry, cold air, where it’s thrived since the age of the Incas. During the fallow season, llamas and alpacas unaffectedly aerate the soil by trampling the ground in search of wild grasses, and their manure provides rich fertilizer for the quinoa seeds. Once shrubs turn out, farmers tend to each by hand, shielding them from frost and cold winds with two-dimensional stones and the same straw used to form roofs of dwellings.
It’s as much the compelling back stories of lesser-known grains as their flavor and nutrition that interest consumers and assistance propel demand for such in food products and on menus. Ancient grains (most of which bear the built-in marketing benefits that “heirloom" brings to the comestible) are suddenly new again, offering novelty and contributing to menu and product interest.
The honourable news for chefs and manufacturers is that the spectrum of grains readily handy in the marketplace has grown exponentially in the last several years. What’s more, grains today mirror nearly every color in the rainbow, from charcoal wheat to red quinoa, from Stygian barley to purple Thai rice, aiding plate bestowal and enhancing products’ appeal.
Source: Food Product Design
