Hie / Barnyard Millet / Echinochloa Utilis
Characteristics: Cold hardy. Good for people who have a cold constitution.
Hie was a staple food of Japanese before rice became popular. Recent
research suggests that Hie originated in Japan. Hie is a hardy plant
and strong for cold weather. Among millets and grains, it functions
to heat our body up and works well on people who often feel cold. Hie's
benefits abound: it can be grown in poor soil and be stored for a long
time.
It has a bland taste and texture similar to white-flesh fish. Hie that
is boiled thoroughly becomes creamy and smooth. Hie can be used for
vegetarian mock fish fry and for stew dishes. Only non-glutinous hie
is currently available, but you can make it glutinous through cooking.
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Hie grows very strongly in cold climates and will improve
the cold constitution of your body. When cooked, hei becomes
like mashed potato. Care shoule be taken in keeping cooked
hie as it hardens on cooling. |
In tsubu-tsubu cooking, hie is likened to minced fish. Depending on
the cooking method used, hie resembles mashed potato or cous cous.
