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Rye,
bot.: Secale cereale,
de.: Roggen,
fr.: seigle,
it.: segale,
es.: centeno
Rye: Calorific value and nutritional facts
Rye (bot.: Secale cerale) is a
cereal
belonging to the family of
grass
(bot.: Poaceae). It is sowed annually and grows 0.65 to 2 m high.
Its tetragonal ears are between 5 and 20 cm big and hang over slightly during
flowering season. The ears consist of spikelets with two florets and long awns,
its glumes are hairy. The grains are 5 to 9 mm long and have a bluish green shimmer.
Ripe rye is easily removed from the chaff through threshing.
History of rye
Rye descended from a wild species in Anatolia, Turkey. It was probably grown
for the first time 2000 to 3000 years ago - as a weed in mixed cultivation with
wheat.
From about 700 BC it was also cultivated in Central Europe. Germanic tribes used it
as a bread cereal. Celts and Slavs later adopted its cultivation.
Nutrients of rye
Without chaff rye grains contain 60 %
carbohydrates,
9.5 %
protein,
13.2 %
dietary fibres,
1.7 %
fat
and 1 %
minerals
as well as considerable amounts of
B-vitamins
and
vitamin E.
Rye also contains
gluten,
which may lead to health problems in people suffering from
coeliac disease
(gluten intolerance).
Usage of rye
The largest part of the rye harvest is used for livestock feed. In human nutrition rye is
mostly used as a bread cereal, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
Rye bread does not dry out as fast as other bread varieties and are thus more durable.
Whole rye grains that have been soaked in water overnight may be
cooked
like rice. Rye may also be processed into
cereal products
like
flour,
groats,
semolina,
and
flakes.
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