For hundreds of years, jowar has been feeding the people of Africa. This abundant cereal whole grain, also called sorghum, is an important staple crop in the diets of Africans. It thrives in areas where other crops may fail due to the harsh environment, so it is often a main source of nourishment for the people there.

In the Western world, we often use jowar as feed for livestock. But more and more people are taking note of the grain’s versatility, abundance, and impressive nutritional profile and turning to jowar for their own meals and snacks. It can be ground up and used as a flour, or eaten like oats as a porridge.

Benefits of Jowar

Like many whole grains, jowar is high in fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient for both health and weight loss, and just one cup of jowar has almost 48% of the average daily recommended amount of fiber. It is also high in protein which is essential for muscle recovery and growth, and also contains high amounts of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron. Finally, jowar is a gluten free grain. That means jowar flour can be used to make all sorts of gluten free goodies.

Popped Jowar

Jowar is also popular in India, where it is roasted over fire or a stove and pops out like popcorn. This delicious snack is a smaller, sweeter, and healthier substitute for popcorn. Like popcorn, its simple to make in an air popper or over heated over the stove with oil. Season your popped jowar any way you please. Salt, chili powder, and Parmesan cheese are all great options.

If you’re looking for something new when it comes to snack food, why not try out this delicious, healthy grain. It has a proud heritage, excellent nutritional pedigree, and it tastes great!

Source:

• “7 Sorghum”, The National Academies Press

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