Kibi / Prosso Millet / Panicum Miliaceum
Characteristics: Crunchy and rich like eggs, kibi is an excellent ingredient
for making pancakes and other baked goods.
Kibi is hardy in dry weather and can be harvested in a
short period, about three or four months. There are two different kinds:
one that can be sown in spring and is suitable for cold climates, and
another that can be sown in summer and is suitable for warm climates.
Ears of kibi right before the harvest looks like rice, and because of
that some people call it "ina kibi". "Ina" means
rice. It is said that kibi originated somewhere between eastern and
central Asia.
There is glutinous and non- glutinous kibi. Glutinous kibi is rich,
with a viscous texture that is similar to scrambled eggs. Non-glutinous
kibi has a more lightweight, airy texture. Grinded kibi can be mixed
with flour and fried as pancakes.
Glutinous Kibi : egg millet
Glutinous kibi is transformed into solf yellow grains when cooked. You
can eat them as a staple food and they also taste very nice! Grains
of kibi are bigger than those of awa. The color and rich flavor of glutinous
kibi resembles egg in tsubu-tsubu- cooking. In some parts of Japan,
sweet corn sometimes called kibi too.
Non-glutinous kibi : cous cous millet
Along with non-glutinous awa, non-glutinous kibi has benn cultivated
since the New Stone Age across Eurasia and Egypt. When cooked, it
is transformed into soft ‘cous cous’. The gains of non-glutinous
kibi are bright yellow and slightly bigger than those of awa. They
look quite similar to grains of glutinous kibi.
