Pseuds Corner: a look at pseudocereals: We generally pride ourselves on our authenticity at Naturally Good Food – adopting a sustainable, ethical stance, for instance, and only selling ‘real’, natural products. But we’re also proud to sell a group of absolute imposters: pseudocereals, as they are commonly known. Imposter – or the real thing? A pseudocereal is a broad-leaf plant that is not a cereal (‘real’ cereals are grasses), but can be used in a similar way. Their seeds, for example, can be ground into flour, and they can be flaked or puffed to serve as cereals. Here at Naturally Good Food, we sell three pseudocereals, all of which are gluten-free: amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat. (Amaranth, according to Wikipedia, also ‘goes by the name’ of ‘Loves-lies-bleeding’, which is not only extremely evocative, but has the benefit of making it sound even more of an imposter than previously.) We sadly don’t sell the wonderfully named Pitseed Goosefoot (also known to some of its North American friends as ‘Lambs quarters’), wattleseed or breadnut – but if you’d like some, we’d love to know. Clearly, a tendency towards fanciful aliases is one of the features of pseudocereals…. We sell amaranth in 500g bags and in bulk 25kg packs. This plant has been used in South American cooking for centuries. It’s said to have more calcium and magnesium than cows’ milk and is rich in protein, making it ideal for vegetarians and vegans. As well as the seed, we sell Orgran’s Multigrain Pasta Spirals with Amaranth, which mix rice, corn and millet with amaranth. Orgran describes amaranth as ‘revered’, and as a ‘nutritional wonder’, particularly well-suited to those with digestive difficulties. Click here to see our full range of amaranth products. Quinoa needs little introduction: it’s one of our big sellers, whether in small family-friendly packs, Express microwaveable sachets, or bulk bags. We sell pearl, red and black quinoas, as well as tricolour packs, and a huge range of foodstuffs containing quinoa. Click here to see the full range, which covers breakfast ‘cereals’, crispbreads, flour and quinoa drinks. Quinoa is a ‘complete protein’, with all the essential amino acids, as well as being particularly rich in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and iron. It really does act as a full substitute for the nutrients of meat and fish, which again gives it a special place in vegetarian and vegan diets. Buckwheat is another well-established product, also rich in amino acids and packed with antioxidants. We sell flakes, puffs, groats, flour, noodles, pancake mix and a host of products made from buckwheat. Click here to see the full range. Whether or not you’re following a gluten-free diet, it makes sense to include these pseudocereals in your diet on a regular basis, for their health benefits alone. Given their versatility, nutritional magnificence, and imaginative nomenclature, it’s perhaps time these pseudocereals adopted a more convincing ‘group name’, to appeal to a larger audience. Because pseudocereals or not – these are the real thing. The post Pseuds Corner: a look at pseudocereals appeared first on Naturally Good Food. ift.tt/QpUYf8 ift.tt/1l6phkc July 17, 2014 at 06:35AM
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 05:57:28 +0000
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