Grain
Brown Sorghum
A tier
Brown sorghum sits between white and deep red types—tan to chocolate bran colour with moderate tannins and a toasty, whole-grain taste. It appears in traditional African porridges and some specialty flours where pale neutrality is less important than flavour. Cooked berries look like brown rice’s rustic cousin. Good for hearty breakfast cereals and multigrain loaves. Expect more bitterness than white sorghum if tannin is high—choose food-specified brown lots. Toast grains lightly before boiling to amplify nuttiness.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
History
Brown-grained sorghums were everyday staples in many Sahelian and eastern African diets.
Colonial and post-colonial markets graded brown sorghum for food and feed separately.
Specialty importers sold brown sorghum as a flavourful whole grain.
Gluten-free bakers experimented with brown sorghum flour for deeper crumb colour.