The Alchemist's Pantry
Where Distinctive Flavours Are Crafted.
Traditional grains, seeds and pulses.
Turn a reviewed leaf from this chapter. Historical sources, flavour affinities and kitchen notes accompany each ingredient.
Cereal grain · seed of a grass
Hordeum vulgare
Cooked barley is gently nutty and earthy, with a satisfying chew and a mild sweetness. Pearled barley is polished and softens more readily; hulled forms retain more of the outer grain and a firmer character....
Pseudocereal · dehulled seed · Polygonaceae
Fagopyrum esculentum
Earthy and nutty, with a slightly bitter edge. Roasted groats are deeper and more toasted than pale, unroasted ones.
Cereal grain · Poaceae
Avena sativa
Mild, creamy and gently nutty, becoming more toasted when heated. Fine oatmeal thickens liquids; whole groats retain more definition.
Cereal grain · Poaceae
Secale cereale
Earthy and robustly grain-like, with a gentle sweetness. Fermented bread can be tangy, but that acidity comes from the process rather than the raw grain alone.
Cereal grain · hulled wheat
Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta
Gently nutty, earthy and slightly sweet. Cooked whole grains retain a pleasing chew; pearled products soften more readily. Flour gives a different culinary experience from an intact grain, so the two should not be treated...
☙ The Ancient Granary ❧
