The celebration of the year 2023 as an “international year of millets” is reaching new heights every day. Just like quinoa, millets are gaining immense popularity in international markets and becoming a part of various global cuisines. 

People across the globe are creating various innovative millet recipes to make it a part of their regular diet. This has given rise to global millet based cuisines that are creating waves over the internet.

In the first part of this post, we shared regional recipes from different parts of India,  , in case you missed it.

Now, with this post, we are talking about millet-based recipes from around the globe. Read the post to know more!

Millet-based recipes from America 

American cuisine is quite versatile and influenced by various diverse cultures and ethnicities. In recent years, millets have gained great popularity in America as a gluten-free grain. From millet-based breakfast to millet energy bars, millets are becoming an important part of meals and snacks. 

Millet salads, millet pilaf and millet casserole are some of the well-liked millet-based recipes from American cuisine. Moreover, millets are a commonly used ingredient for gluten-free baking in America. People are using it extensively to make various baking recipes. Millet cookies, millet cupcakes and millet cakes are some of the popular millet-based baking recipes. 

Millet-based recipes from Africa 

Millets are one of the staple foods in the African continent, and Africa is also the leading producer of millets. Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Morocco are some of the leading African countries that use millets in various recipes. Millet porridge or Ugali, Millet Injera, Millet Tuo, Millet Jollof and African spiced carrot cake are some of the well-known millet-based recipes from Africa. 

Furthermore, the fermented spicy millet drink Zomkom from Ghana is another great African millet based recipe. The drink is gaining great popularity worldwide due to its great taste and enhanced nutritional value. 

Millet-based recipes from European countries (France, Italy, Spain etc.) 

Though traditional European cuisine did not have any specific millet-based recipes however, things have changed rapidly in recent years. According to recent research, millet has been used to make various dishes like porridge, stews, puddings and bread, in the northwestern region of Iberia. Traditionally, Italian pasta and pizza are the most popular dishes from the European cuisine, but they are not the best option when it comes to health and nutrition.

 Thus, European chefs and health enthusiasts are coming forward and expressing interest in making traditional European recipes with millets as the key ingredient. Millet risotto, millet pizza and millet stews are some of the popular millet-based dishes from European cuisine. 

Millet-based recipes from Asian cuisine (Southwestern Asia and East Asia)

Millets have been a part of people’s diet in different Asian countries since ancient times. Millets are widely popular in southwestern countries like India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and in east Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea.  

India’s neighboring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal have a good deal of interesting millet-based recipes in their respective cuisines. In Sri Lanka, finger millets or Kurakkan are the most popular variety of millets. Kurakkan Kenda or Kurakkan porridge is one of the most prominent millet-based recipes in Sri Lanka.

In Nepal, millets are used for making various food and drink recipes. Kodo ki kheer and Kodo ki roti are two well-known millet-based recipes from the Nepali cuisine. Apart from these, Tongba is another traditional millet-based drink from Nepal that is gaining popularity worldwide. 

Moving to the east Asian countries, millets are well-recognized grains in China. Chinese millet porridge (millet Congee) is one of the most popular recipes in China. It is used as a healthy breakfast and a comfort food in Chinese households. 

 As per TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), millets have amazing healing and body-nourishing properties. They are also considered a great food option for postpartum moms and babies.

Following the same trend, other east Asian countries like Japan and Korea also include   millets as a replacement for rice in many traditional Korean and Japanese recipes. Millet onkai from Japanese cuisine and Millet Bibimbap from Korean cuisine are great recipes to enjoy millets with great taste. 

Final Word

Millets have become an important part of various global cuisines. With an  increase in incidence of lifestyle diseases, it is a great time to start your millet journey and include millets in your diet. Here, at skyroots.in, we provide excellent information about different important aspects of millets, including millet recipes, health benefits of millets and much more. If you have any questions/queries related to millets consumption, feel free to ask us in the comments section below.