# Who uses millet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 6, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275 "2023-04-06T21:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/1 "2023-04-06T21:51:29Z")
Inspired by this being international year of millets. > **[Home | International Year of Millets 2023 | Food and Agriculture Organization...](https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en)** > > Home Who knew? Great grain from a climate change perspective and apparently more nutritious than brown rice. I’ve not cooked with it. Anyone? Use it like rice? How’s it compare? I’m going to buy some next grocery shop I think. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/2 "2023-04-06T21:54:18Z")
I’m sure I’ve eaten millet at some point in my life, but I don’t think I knew that’s what it was. All I know about it is that samurai will be quite offended if you serve it instead of rice. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/3 "2023-04-06T21:55:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Who uses millet? Birds! Seriously, though, I have. It’s OK. Just seemed fussy to me. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/4 "2023-04-06T21:57:10Z")
My pet conures love it raw. My wife likes to make porridge from it. I think it’s tasty and has a much less starchy mouth feel compared to rice porridge. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/5 "2023-04-06T21:58:42Z")
When i was a kid we used to get a “12 grain cereal”, and the most distinctive grain was millet. I can’t say i love it, but I’d certainly eat it if i were hungry enough. It did give the hot cooked cereal some texture. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/6 "2023-04-06T22:14:20Z")
I used to buy it and pop it like popcorn, then use it for breakfast cereal. It’s good, but not worth all the trouble. I haven’t tried it in bread baking yet, but the birds would eat nothing else if we let them. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/7 "2023-04-06T22:18:17Z")
I used to make overnight oatmeal in my crockpot. The recipe had you add some millet. I think to give the finished product some texture as the oats kind of dissolved. Another ingredient was dried apricots cut up into tiny pieces. It was really delicious, and it was great to wake up to the yummy smell. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/8 "2023-04-06T22:23:44Z")
I’ve had millet in some muesli and I’ve had it popped. To me the most distinctive part of it is the texture in my mouth. Experimenting, I know my teeth are just spaced wide enough for an uncooked millet seed to get stuck. But you shouldn’t eat it raw. It should be soaked and cooked or you risk a big bellyache. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/9 "2023-04-06T22:38:04Z")
My wife makes a millet porridge for breakfast quite often – I find it bland and a tiny bit cardboard-y but it’s comfort food for her; she’s been eating it since her childhood in Abidjan. With honey and yogurt she feeds it to our son who also seems to like it. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/10 "2023-04-06T22:54:17Z")
We used to make millet bread…not because it’s gluten-free, but just for a change of pace. Haven’t made it in a while, maybe I should… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/11 "2023-04-07T00:54:59Z")
I like millet served like rice. I think it’s tasty. It’s good added uncooked to bread dough, as it adds a nice crunch. ---
**Author:** ![Jebbilene](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jebbilene/32/3414_2.png) [@Jebbilene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jebbilene)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/12 "2023-04-07T01:09:38Z")
It tastes okay. I get put off because it smells like a pet food, and the little grains are not satisfying to chew. I do wonder what it would be like as a flour, if that’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/13 "2023-04-07T02:25:55Z")
My birds dote on it. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/14 "2023-04-07T02:35:39Z")
Somewhat surprised that when I stopped off at Whole Foods on my way home tonight there was no millet to be found. I thought for sure I’d find some overpriced sprouted packaged up to make as a side starch … or at least in bulk. Nope. Experimented with [fonio](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fonio#bottom-line) tonight instead. Another drought resistant crop. We eat late so waiting on my wife to get home, but did a sample taste and it’s nice enough just plain. I’ll keep looking other local stores. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/15 "2023-04-07T04:45:43Z")
Bob’s Red Mill has millet flour, so it’s definitely possible. Never heard of fonio; it sounds like a native grain to western Africa, and versatile like quinoa, which is native to the Andes. I’m sure I’ve had millet, but I do mostly feed it to my local birds. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/16 "2023-04-07T08:42:36Z")
Haven’t used it for awhile, but I’ve cooked it as a side dish like rice, made multi-grain hot cereals with it, multi-grain bread with millet flour, put it in soups and stews… That was mostly back when I lived near a store that sold millet in several forms so it was easy to get. Living where I do now getting millet for people to eat (as opposed to birds) is less convenient. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/17 "2023-04-07T11:45:19Z")
My wife makes millet zhou/congee (porridge) with various sweet additions. It’s a breakfast staple at our house and my in-laws’ (in China). We have it about once a week. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/18 "2023-04-07T11:56:13Z")
We have a flight cage of budgerigars and they love millet. Fresh or dried sprays, they’ll eat either. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/19 "2023-04-07T15:29:21Z")
Turns out fonio IS a millet! From this UN millet promotion page. > **[Six reasons to bring millets to the market!](https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1628815/)** > > Rich in heritage and full of potential, millets are a sustainable, nutritious and under-valued food source ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275/20 "2023-04-07T16:34:06Z")
More about why millets. > **[UN declares 'The Year of Millets' to address global food insecurity](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/world/un-declares-the-year-of-millets-to-address-global-food-insecurity)** > > With concerns about war, drought and the environment raising new worries about food supplies, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization has christened 2023 as the "Year of Millets" — grains that have been cultivated in all corners of the globe for... Rice is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Corn is a water hog. The fornio was more like couscous (the small sort, not the big Israeli kind) than rice. Not quite a rice or corn substitute. I think building demand will take work. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-uses-millet/982275.md?page=2)