Grain
Millet
Millet is a family of small-seeded warm-season cereals including proso, pearl, finger, and foxtail types. Mild and slightly sweet, millet cooks fluffy like couscous or creamy like porridge and mills into gluten-free flour. A staple across parts of Africa, India, and East Asia, it is also used as birdseed and specialty health grain in Western markets. Toast lightly before boiling to deepen nuttiness.
Also known as: Bajra / Ragi / Jowar-adjacent millets, Xiao mi
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A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles. Showing 10 of 17.
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Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 2.63 g
- Saturated Fat 0.49 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.47 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.27 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 4.89 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Total Carbohydrate 69.1 g
- Dietary Fibre 6.28 g
- Total Sugars 0.96 g
- Complex / starch 58.9 g
- Protein 10.3 g
- Water 11.7 g
- Energy 330 kcal
- Water 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates 69.1 g
- Sugars 0.96 g
- Monosaccharides 0.68 g
- Disaccharides 0.29 g
- Starch 58.9 g
- Amylose 14.7 g
- Amylopectin 44.2 g
- Digestible Starch 50 g
- Resistant Starch 5.89 g
- Fibre 6.28 g
- Soluble Fibre 2.2 g
- Insoluble Fibre 4.08 g
- Protein 10.3 g
- Plant Protein 9.82 g
- Fat 2.63 g
- Saturated Fat 0.49 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.47 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.27 g
- Vitamins 63.5 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.32 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.11 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 4.18 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.62 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.26 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 3 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 30.2 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin E 0.79 mg
- Vitamin K 2 µg
- Minerals 290 mg
- Major Minerals 283 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.8 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.01 g
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.32 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.11 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 4.18 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.62 · vitamin-b6: 0.26 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 3 · vitamin-b9-folate: 30.2 · vitamin-e: 0.79 · vitamin-k: 2 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 4.89 · Potassium: 219 · Calcium: 59 · Iron: 1.4 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Dry grains are starch-forward with bran fibre when whole; refining strips fibre and some minerals.
In the kitchen
Culinary partners and combinations that usually underperform with Millet.
Usually avoid with
Often clash in flavour or tradition
History
Foxtail and broomcorn millets were domesticated in northern China as early dryland staples.
Pearl and finger millets became foundational cereals across the Indian subcontinent and Sahelian Africa.
Colonial grain economies often sidelined millets, though they remained vital regional foods.
Nutrition and climate-resilience interest revived millet in global specialty and traditional markets.