Sorghum as an alternative food

Rice and corn are some of the grains that we popularly known, but how about Sorghum? If you’ll ask people if they've ever eaten sorghum and chances are, they'll have no idea what you’re talking about.  

Sorghum is a type of numerous varieties of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants, either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warm climates worldwide. It was originated in Africa and the fifth most important cereal crop in the world, largely because of its natural drought tolerance and flexibility as food, feed and fuel.

Sorghum's status as an alternative grain for people with gluten intolerance has made it more available as human food in the United States with its high nutritional value and other health benefits recommend it as a replacement for rice or corn among the general population as well.

In nations with high sorghum consumption, the grain is often eaten as porridge or boiled like rice as a base for other dishes. Sorghum can be substituted for wheat flour in a variety of baked goods. Its neutral, sometimes sweet, flavor and light color make it easily adaptable to a variety of dishes. Sorghum improves the texture of recipes and digests more slowly. A wide variety of recipes using sorghum can be found online and in cookbooks, particularly those catering to a gluten-free diet. These recipes include muffins, breads, pizzas, pastas, casseroles, cookies, cakes, pies and more. In general, sorghum flour can be used as a wheat replacement in breads, pastas, cereals, and baked goods, with a bit of experimentation to imitate the springy quality of gluten.

Aside from being gluten free, it’s also a whole grain that provides many nutritional benefits. Some specialty sorghums are high in antioxidants, which are believed to help lower the risk of skin and colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease, manage lower cholesterol and some neurological diseases. In addition, the wax surrounding the sorghum grain contains compounds called Policosanols that may have an impact on human cardiac health. Sorghum also has high nutritional value, with high levels of unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron. It also has more antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates.

In the Philippines, the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC) has been collaborating with the private sectors in the pilot use of sweet sorghum to potentially lower feed cost and raise the net income of farmers. The development of sweet sorghum grains as complementary to corn grains as feed raw material may help raise the Philippines’ poultry and livestock sector’s competitiveness through cost reduction. Soon the sweet sorghum will be introduced as an alternative food and an option for all people.