This ‘Poor Man’s Grain’ Is Showing Up on Michelin-Starred Menus

An appearance at a White House state dinner was a recent high point in the push to get millet into kitchens worldwide.

For almost 8,000 years, millet has been nourishing the world without getting much attention. But recently, the nutrient-rich grains got their moment in the international spotlight. At the White House state dinner for India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June, millet was served in a first-course salad with grilled corn.

This ancient super grain, once a staple of diets in India and South Africa, actually comprises small seeds that come from grasses that include pearl millet, the most common variety, as well as fonio and teff. (The category is referred to in India by its plural, millets, and singularly elsewhere). It can be served simply, as a porridge-style dish, or mixed into salads, soups and stews.