Sago Pearls - Stock & Prep - 1.5kg

Whether you’re a master chef or a beginner, whole grains can initially seem intimidating when it comes to home cooking. However, in reality whole grains are surprisingly simple, and so versatile you’ll be using them, without thinking, in no time. To start with we’ll go through the most popular whole grains, how to prepare them and some basic recipe ideas. Quinoa, perfect for salads, soups and stews : Quinoa is a fluffy and light pseudo grain hailing from South America that makes for a perfect gluten free alternative to couscous or a healthier alternative to rice. Quinoa is prepared in a fairly similar way to rice, if anything it is even easier, as you don’t necessarily need to worry too much about adding water or salt. Much like rice, the ratio of quinoa to water you choose to use will affect its texture, so you can tailor it for whatever a particular dish requires. If you choose to add more water, your quinoa will have an almost mushy texture, and if you choose to add less water you’ll have a drier final result. How to prepare quinoa: 1. Combine one cup of quinoa with one cup of water (this will provide the fluffiest final result) in a pan or rice cooker. 2. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 3. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for 10 minutes. 4. Once the quinoa looks translucent, fluff it with a fork and serve! Quinoa can be quite bland on its own, as it only has a subtle nutty flavour so it is always best to serve it either with a flavourful dish, or use a strong dressing to really make the most of it. We recommend this delicious pistachio and quinoa salad as a starting point. Oats, great for baking into sweet treats or making the perfect healthy breakfast: Oats are one of the most versatile whole grains you can have in your pantry, but they are actually also one of the simplest to cook with. Porridge is perhaps one of the most typical uses of oats, and there are countless recipes for great healthy versions of it (we recommend this one) but there are a few things to avoid when making porridge. Pitfalls to avoid when making porridge: ● Use the correct water to milk ratio - you can easily make your porridge thicker or thinner by adding more or less milk, but it is important to balance the two to avoid making either a soupy mess or a chunky disaster. ● Keep the porridge on a medium heat - avoid going any higher otherwise you’ll run the risk of burning the oats and ruining your pan! ● Make sure to spice it up - adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg is an amazing way to make your breakfast more flavourful without ruining its health benefits and avoiding making a bland final result. Overnight oats are another delicious and healthy way to start the day, and although they need more time to prepare they are just as simple, we recommend adding berries and almonds for an even better final result. As mentioned above, oats are also a great ingredient in baking, and they can really help to add both texture and flavour to pretty much any baked dish, so don’t be afraid to experiment! For a sweet (but healthy) treat we recommend these buckwheat flour banana muffins with oats. Brown vs wild rice - superstar carbohydrates: Brown rice and wild rice are both incredibly healthy carbohydrates, despite their names they are actually very different, in flavour, texture and preparation. Wild rice is typically longer and skinnier than brown rice, and most importantly, much chewier. This makes wild rice more appropriate for dishes where you really want to bulk out the texture while also keeping it healthy. Brown rice on the other hand is a lot lighter by comparison, so it is less likely to dominate the meal and won’t alter the texture too drastically. How to prepare wild rice As wild rice is technically a grass rather than a rice it requires a significantly longer cooking time, so it's best to keep this in mind when cooking with it. 1. Rinse the wild rice thoroughly to remove any excess starch and avoid a sludgy final result. 2. Using a ratio of around 3.5 cups of boiling water to every 1 cup of wild rice combine the two in a pan. 3. Bring the rice back down to a simmer for around 50 minutes or until all of the grains have popped 4. Take the rice off of the heat and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes 5. Fork through the grains with a knob of butter and serve! While wild rice does have a stronger flavour and more dominant texture than brown rice it is still best to serve it with something flavourful. How to prepare brown rice: Brown rice is a lot more simple, but the cooking times do vary based on the length of grain, so it’s always best to check the packet if you’re unsure. 1. Rinse the rice thoroughly to remove any excess starch (as you would with wild rice). 2. Using a ratio of 2:1 water to rice, combine the two with a pinch of salt in a large pan (although this ratio can be tailored to the specific dish you’re making). 3. Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for thirty minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. 4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice to stand for ten minutes. 5. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve! Why not get started cooking whole grains now: Hopefully by following these tips and suggestions the prospect of incorporating whole grains into your home cooking seems less daunting. By cooking and eating healthily you’re bound to notice the difference in no time, and soon you’ll be reaching for whole grains without a second thought. If you’re ever stumped you can always check our recipe page for even more advice!

Oats are a classic staple of most childhood mornings as a traditional breakfast food, but did you know that they are actually an incredibly healthy wholefood. Oats are among the healthiest foods you can eat, high in fibre, protein and a wealth of vitamins and minerals they really are hard to beat. What are the types of oats? Whole or jumbo oats, which are the least broken down, and therefore take longer to cook. Rolled oats, which have been roasted, steamed and flattened to remove the outer shell. Oatmeal, which has similarly been roasted, steamed and flattened, but is ideal for making porridge. Broadly speaking these oats all have similar nutritional contents, although roasting and steaming oats can very slightly reduce this. Due to their similarities, it is often best to pick oats based around what you will use them for (while also taking the health benefits into consideration). Do oats improve digestion? Oats are also packed full of insoluble and soluble fibre (both of which are very healthy) Insoluble fibre is great for aiding digestion, while soluble fibre helps to lower cholesterol and improve heart health. As well as the obvious digestive benefits, the high fibre content in oats has been shown to help establish healthy gut bacteria, and generally maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Why oats are the perfect breakfast? One of the reasons oats are primarily used as a breakfast food is because of their low glycemic index and slow releasing energy. The glycemic index refers to the speed at which carbohydrates raise glucose levels in the blood, the lower the score the slower the release of energy. The slow release of energy means that oats really can keep you powered from breakfast until lunch, without crashing in the late morning.Not only will oats keep your energy levels high, they will also make you feel fuller due to their beta glucan content. Beta glucan is a specific type of hard to find soluble fibre, which increases the water absorption in your body, this creates a feeling of fullness and helps to stop overeating, which when combined with the long lasting energy of oats makes them a really useful weight management tool. The incredible nutritional benefits of oats Oats also contain vitamins B1, B2 and inositol. Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamin) provides a boost to the nervous system, while also helping to facilitate the slow releasing energy mentioned above. Vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin) is great for helping to maintain healthy skin and hair, while also helping to provide a strong nervous system. Inositol is unique, in that it is technically a sugar rather than a vitamin, but it helps the body to process insulin. Oats are a unique superfood, as they are not only a naturally gluten free and vegan source of protein, but they are also incredibly affordable. The amount of protein in oats is often understated in favour of its fibre contents, however dry oats actually contain around 26 grams of protein per cup! Why everyone should keep oats in their pantry? The overwhelming health benefits of oats combined with how simple they are to cook with, make them an ideal part of any balanced diet particularly for those who are struggling with their protein or fibre intake. As well as the obvious use of oats as a breakfast food, oats are also an incredibly useful ingredient for any aspiring baker adding texture, flavour and a litany of health benefits to pretty much any dish you can think of.

What is Barley? On first glance ‘barley’ doesn’t seem like a word that many of us have heard of, or relate to in our day-to-day life. However, barley is the fourth most common grain used across the world. After wheat, rice, and corn, barley is the next grain used in many of our foods and drinks. Barley comes from a cereal plant and can grow in many climates. Hence, why it’s turned out as quite a popular grain. Where is it from? Originating from northwestern Europe, Egypt and Mesopotamia, Barley was one of the first grains found in ancient civilisations. Now, predominantly grown in western Asia and northeast Africa, Barley is used hugely across countries all around the world. How is it grown? With adequate care, barley is fairly simple to grow (in the right climate that is). Barley comes in two different flower types, used for different reasons. Six-Row Barley Six-row barley has three spikes on each notch that contain little florets that eventually turn into kernels. This type contains a very high amount of protein, and is therefore used in lots of bulked animal feeds, and as livestock bedding. Two-Row Barley Two-row barley has flowers that grow in the middle. They produce kernels and adjacent florets that are normally germ-free. In contrast to the six-row type, it contains a higher sugar amount. This makes it more common for malting and awakening the ‘grain’ in the cereal plant. Wheat & Wholegrain Barley A common misconception barley faces, is that it contains wheat. Barley is its own whole grain that does not contain any wheat grain. It inclines to be used as a whole. Whereas wheat tends to be milled and added to ingredients such as flour, before it is used in cooking. Barley, however, is occasionally used as an alternative to wheat; in less developed countries that have the incorrect climate for growing wheat. Gluten Linking to the misconception of barley and wheat, the ingredient gluten, which is commonly linked to the wheat grain is found in the barley cereal. Even though it is found in small amounts, through a protein ingredient originating from the plant itself, barley is not suitable for those who are gluten-intolerant or live a gluten-free diet. This also means barley isn’t a suitable component for making flours, as a high amount of gluten is essential for the rising of doughs. Barley Health Benefits For those who do have a gluten-inclusive diet, you will be glad to know that barley is packed with lots of health and wellbeing benefits. Barley has a low glycaemic index which means it releases sugar slowly, which is easier and more beneficial for the body to undertake. It also has a higher amount of potassium and copper, and lower sodium, which is valuable to your working heart and nerves. Interestingly, barley contains selenium and manganese which is a great booster for your immune system, and helpful towards your metabolic rate. Another nutrient of barley is phosphorus. The high phosphorus levels help towards storing and using your energy for longer. Organic barley is particularly useful for these health benefits as it also provides antioxidants and inflammatory nutrients. Which, when you put together with all of these other ingredients, provides you with a great help towards your body as a whole. How Is Barley Used? Barley is a versatile plant used across the globe for different reasons. Barley flour Organic barley flour is unusual as it has a distinct sweet flavour to it. As an unleavened type of flour, barley flour is great for foods like porridges and flatbreads. However, many cultures will grind barley and wheat flour together to make breads that will rise. These simple recipes are wildly commended in many cultures across Africa. Whereas, in some parts of Asia, barley flour is used as an ingredient to make noodles. Barley Flakes Similar to how rolled oats are made, flaked barley is flattened and sliced and soaked before being sold. They are a softened form of the barley plant and work well in porridges, puddings, and breakfast cereals. Barley flakes can be used as an alternative to oats. In many ways it is a healthier option. Barley contains lots more fibre than oats and has plenty of vitamins and minerals included too. Pearl Barley Earlier on in the article, ‘kernels’ were mentioned. In pearl barley, whole kernels from the outer bran layer, that are first removed, polished and then slightly steamed, are used in a variety of meals. Risottos, salads, roasted vegetable assortments, and stews can be great recipes to trial pearl barley. Pearl barley is great to bulk up your meals, as it absorbs well into liquids. This helps you to get that satiated feeling when you’re eating, which can be great for cutting out cravings and the feeling to constantly snack. On top of that, it is a great product to help promote your cholesterol levels It is a great alternative to white rice as it contains double the amount of fibre and calcium than white rice does alone. Nevertheless, it’s also a great alternative because it contains an equivalent amount of protein and fat that rice does, therefore it could be a great switch if you’re feeling bored with just using rice in your meals.