Grain and Grain Products

Wheat corn, oats, rice, rye, barley and millet are collectively called grains. WHEAT originated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from a grass known as Aegilops-Ovala. It was brought to a state of great perfection in the fertile fields of the Caesars.

CORN, or Maize, is thought to be a native American plant, but it is not. It is from the genus Maydeae, and the name maize seems to have been used by the an­cients to describe a grass called Zea or Z-Mays.

RICE originated in India from a grass called Omza-Saxiva, several centuries before the Christian era. It was the staple article of food during that period of her civilization that has crowned that country as the seat of philosophy and learning.

BARLEY is a native product of Western Asia. It originated from a grass, the genus Hordeum. It took its name, no doubt, from a bread called Bara bread, or barley bread. It was a staple article of food in Asia and Asia Minor many centuries before the Christian era.

OATS was a prodigal growth of Norway and north­ern England, and came from a wild grass known as Avena sativa. For many centuries it was used as a sort of fodder or roughness for animals, but under the cultivation of the thrifty, but ancient, Scotch, the oat was dignified as the principal cereal food of that sturdy race.

RYE originated along the shores of the Black and Caspian Seas, and is the hardiest of all the cereal plants. Rye, as a food, comes nearer meeting the re­quirements of our present civilization than any other grain product. Its chief virtue consists in the limited amount of starch and great amount of cellulose fibre it contains.

The above named grains, taken collectively, consti­tute the majority and most universally used articles of human food. Inasmuch as they are composed so large­ly of starch, modern science is pointing out the fact that the over-eating of grain and grain products or the over-consumption of starch is responsible for a great majority of human ills, therefore, under the guidance of the food scientist the national bill of fare will un­doubtedly undergo a very marked change within the next decade or two.

Grain, therefore, was not the food of primitive man. It has, however, become the great staple for two rea­sons. First, because it is farinaceous and will keep through from season to season, hence can be drawn upon at all times of the year as a staple.

Second, because it can be prepared in almost a limitless number of ways, hence has been made to appeal to the appetite under all conditions of age and climate.

Coincident with the universal use of grain as the staple article of diet have come digestive disorders, common to all civilized countries, that can be traced di­rectly to the excessive use of cereal starch.

The recipes for the preparation of grain given in this work contemplates their limited use, at least reducing the quantity that is likely to be eaten by the average person to the minimum, by preparing them in a sim­ple but natural way.

WHEAT, OATS AND RYE occupy about the same place in the chemistry of food, therefore, they can be grouped in equal proportions or prepared separately according to the following recipes:

TO PREPARE UNCOOKED

Take the quantity desired for two or three meals. Place in a deep vessel, cover with boiling water and al­low to stand from 6 to 10 hours, or over night.

Thoroughly drain and serve in very small portions with cream and a dash of salt or cream and sugar, nuts or nut butter and a pinch of salt.

TO PREPARE COOKED

Place the quantity desired in a double boiler, and al­low to simmer several hours, or over night. Serve in very dainty portions with cream and nuts, or if some­thing sweet is desired a bit of maple sugar, dates, figs or raisins can be used.This method of preparation makes these grains much superior to any of the prepared breakfast foods made from the same stock.

First, prepared in this manner, the grain contains all the gluten and cellulose (bran) fibre which is absolutely necessary to produce proper alimentation and, there­fore, prevent intestinal congestion (constipation).

Second, grains taken in this manner necessitate ex­cessive mastication which, in addition to all of its other virtues, prevents over-eating and consequent starch congestion and poisoning.

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