Chumiza

Chumiza is one of the oldest cereals known to mankind. In the modern gastronomic industry, culture remains rare. You can only find high-quality chumizu in local organic shops or online, but the taste and nutritional value of the ingredient will fully justify the effort spent.

What is culture and how can it be useful to a modern consumer?

What you need to know about the product

Chumiza (alternative names – buda, capitate millet, black rice) – fodder/grain crop. This is an annual cultivated plant from the family of cereals, which is referred to as the so-called “ancient cereals”. Cultivated culture in almost every point of the globe. The plant is most popular in China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, India and the Russian Far East.

Chumiza is considered one of the oldest grain crops in Central Asia. It has developed as a cultivated subspecies of Setaria italica (Italian foxtail). The plant has gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness. Chumiza tolerates drought and sudden changes in temperature. The culture develops especially well in a warm climate, gives the most abundant shoots and crops.

For food purposes, mankind uses grain, green fodder, and hay, which is formed from chumiza. Grains are ground into cereals and flour, but hay and green plants are used to feed livestock.

Chumiza was especially fond of parrots. The culture is used not only as a daily food for birds, but also as a welcome treat.

Another area of ​​​​application of culture is the manufacture of green manure. These are the so-called “green fertilizers” – plants that are specially grown for subsequent incorporation into the soil. Such manipulations improve the structure of the soil, enrich it with nitrogen and inhibit the growth of weeds. Siderates are plowed into the soil before the immediate start of flowering. Green fertilizers enrich the soil: nitrogen, starch, protein structures, natural sugar, useful nutrients.

After cultivation, compost is created on the surface to protect the surface from washout and wind exposure. At the end of the manipulations, new plants are sown. They form a root system, which begins to absorb useful components from the soil and strengthen young plantings. As a result, we get additional nutrition of the crop from the inside, an increase in the quality / quantity of the crop, protection from bad weather and some pests.

The plant has several variations of the name, which change geographically. In China, the culture is called “guzu”, and cereals prepared on the basis of grains are called “xiaomize”. India is characterized by the name “kungu”, Japan – “ava”, Georgia – “gomi”, Armenia – “mchadi”, Ukraine and Moldova – “boron” or “capitate millet”, Kazakhstan – “kunak”, Great Britain – “Turkestan /Italian millet.

Biological Description

Chumiza forms an upright stem from 60 to 120 centimeters in length. One stem holds about 13 leaves. The average leaf parameters are 25 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. Dense inflorescences are formed on the leaves, which in their appearance and structure are very similar to an ear. The length of the inflorescence is about 50 centimeters, the bristles on it are weakly expressed.

Later, fruits are formed from the inflorescences – small bags in which about 8 thousand grains are hidden. The grain is painted in a brick-red hue, takes a rounded or elliptical shape.

1000 grains of chumiza weigh only 2,8 grams.

Seeds germinate well in open soil. They prefer a warm climate and temperatures above +6°C. If the temperature falls below this mark, the grain dies.

The culture is called a plant of a short day. What does it mean? Chumiza depends on the daily rhythm of lighting and the ratio of day/night length. The course of biochemical processes directly depends on the time of day – during the day the plant develops, and closer to the night it turns off activity. This is due to the fact that the functionality of the chumiza directly depends on the light energy of the Sun.

The plant is characterized by resistance to frost and the need for a minimum amount of moisture. An abundance of liquid, on the contrary, can harm the crop and provoke the death of the crop. Also, chumiza is resistant to shedding, invulnerable to insects and diseases. The growing season averages 155 days. It takes about 40 days for the grain to ripen.

A Brief Historical Reference

The birthplace of culture is China. There, the plant is considered the most valuable and nutritious, therefore, to this day, it is present in the diet of most citizens. Chumiza is one of the most important food crops in the country. Various cereals, bakery products, specific Chinese pasta and even sweets are prepared from it. Grains are used for brewing beer, spirits and many spirits of various strengths. The culture is also used in the feed industry. The whole plant is used – from the root to the bags of grain.

Culture gained popularity in the post-Soviet space after the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. The military brought the crop from Manchuria, and large agribusinesses quickly began to appreciate the economic benefits of the plant. Chumiza never took root in a new place – its properties (both nutritional, biological, and industrial) practically did not differ from millet. It seemed pointless to agronomists to introduce another similar grain crop, so everyone quickly forgot about Chinese porridge. A few decades later, chumiza was again returned to GOST and they began to recommend planting, popularizing cereals both among large concerns and the general population.

The nutritional value of the product

One of the most important benefits of chumiza is its high carbohydrate content. Due to starch, the concentration of high-quality “slow” carbohydrates is about 70%. The composition is also rich in proteins, essential amino acids and vitamins.

Due to the high nutritional value of the product, the culture is used to prepare concentrated pet food. Grains are used not only for feeding livestock, but also for human food. The culture is cleaned, processed into flour / cereals and sent to the points of sale. Culinary processing of products from chumiza is no different from products from wheat, buckwheat and other crops.

Useful properties of the ingredient

Chumiza products are able to cleanse the body of toxins, toxins and heavy metals. Nutritionists recommend introducing cereals / flour into the daily diet of residents of megacities and areas with an unfavorable environmental situation. Cereal products contain a record concentration of fiber. Regular use of porridge or pastries based on chumiza flour will help stabilize metabolic processes, harmonize bowel function and lose a few extra pounds. Weight loss will occur gradually and safely for the body itself. Grain meals will provide the body with energy for a long period and help reduce the feeling of hunger – with such inputs, it is simply impossible not to adjust the number on the scales. The plant also has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Useful nutrients strengthen the heart muscle, reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis to the lowest possible level, and normalize blood pressure levels.

The beneficial properties of cereals include:

• strengthening the muscular system and bone skeleton;
• maintaining and strengthening the protective function of immunity;
• improving metabolic processes, increasing the level of absorption of vitamins and minerals from food;
• stabilization of the hormonal background and the process of hematopoiesis;
• strengthening the heart, blood vessels, harmonization of their activities;
• additional protection of the nervous system, the fight against stress and depression;
• stabilization of brain activity.

Doctors recommend paying special attention to the product for pregnant and lactating women. The baby will be able to get the maximum benefit from plant foods, and the mother will diversify the diet and maintain her own health.

What you need to know about fiber

Chumiz contains soluble fiber. As soon as the substance enters the body, it undergoes specific structural changes. Fiber turns into a thick gel that envelops the internal organs and mucous membranes. Thus, it prevents a number of inflammatory processes and diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular pathologies, obesity and cancer. Moreover, soluble fiber is a kind of feeding for the bacteria of the human microbiome, without which our life is impossible.

The main benefits of fiber:

• adjusting the concentration of sugar in the blood (the component reduces the rate of breakdown and assimilation of food products into the blood and, accordingly, prevents sharp jumps in sugar);
• removes the so-called “bad” cholesterol from the body, which reduces the risk of developing heart pathologies to a minimum;
• regulates the functionality of the intestines and helps to solve problems with irregular stools or difficulties with emptying;
• provides a long-lasting feeling of fullness due to the slow breakdown of carbohydrates (due to this aspect, a gradual weight loss is noted);
• affects the condition of the skin (fiber helps to balance the internal microflora of the body, the state of which directly affects the quality / health / appearance of the epithelium);
• reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer and breast cancer by affecting the microflora and hormonal levels.

Contraindications to the use of the product

Serious side effects from the use of chumiza were not recorded by doctors. The only contraindication is individual intolerance to the ingredient. Most often, all this is provoked by a specific reaction of the human body to gluten.

Side effects in the form of disruption of the intestines, pain, worsening of digestion can be provoked by the abuse of cereals. Rationally introduce chumiza into your own diet, following the usual framework of KBJU. Do not forget to supplement the standard set of proteins, fats and carbohydrates with fiber, vitamins, and mineral components.

What is gluten and why is it dangerous

Gluten is gluten, a specific protein that is part of the grain of most cereals. Gluten poses a risk to a certain number of patients. Among them are people who suffer from celiac disease. This is a congenital autoimmune disease. There is a pathology with a probability of 1:500 to 1:100. Celiac disease is a medical diagnosis that is detected through a biopsy and a special blood test. In the presence of the disease, it is forbidden to consume foods containing gluten, as they worsen the quality of life and lead to the development of pathogenic symptoms. Celiac disease is diagnosed at an early age, so if your doctor still hasn’t told you about the pathology, you are perfectly healthy and can not be afraid of gluten.

Another contraindication is an allergy to gluten. It can appear in anyone and is no different from an allergy to tomatoes, citrus fruits, or, for example, pecans. To diagnose an allergy, it is enough to take a blood test for specific antibodies. Recognizing an allergy is quite simple – after eating gluten, a person feels unpleasant symptoms such as headache / abdominal pain, intestinal disorders, rash formation, and so on.

Gluten intolerance can also form due to its long-term abundance in the human diet. Scientists have called this secondary or acquired sensitivity to gluten. It can manifest itself both in chronic fatigue and in the need for hospitalization to save life. The degree of deterioration depends on the amount of gluten eaten, the individual characteristics of the patient’s body and the stage of sensitivity.

If after the next portion of chumiza you feel pain, notice the formation of acne and other uncharacteristic symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Perhaps your body is sensitive to gluten and needs to be completely eliminated from the diet.

If gluten intolerance is not diagnosed, do not stop yourself in gluten-containing products. The main thing is to know when to stop, remember your BJU and be healthy!