By Surbhi Gogia
William Blake once wrote, “To see a world in a grain of sand”. He wanted to tell the world that through imagination you can see big things even in a small grain. India has taken this philosophy to the next level by exploring a world of opportunities in a tiny grain of millet.
India is on a mission to spread awareness about this super food around the world. Recently, the United Nations declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets” after a recommendation from the Indian Government in the year 2019. To celebrate this achievement and promote awareness about millets, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver, also organized an event at UBC.
Served as a staple for millions of people across Asia since centuries and an essential part of the traditional Indian cuisine , this super healthy ancient grain lost its importance. “We want to bring back the millet on food tables across the world,” Consul General Manish noted.
Millets are small-grain cereals like Ragi, jowar, bajra, sawa to name a few. There are seven different types of millets.
Explaining the multiple benefits of this super food, during a presentation, he said that Millets are rich in soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which makes these grains great for a healthy digestive system and a better gut health.
High in protein, gluten-free and low in glycemic index, millets are rich in vitamin A, B and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, niacin, calcium, iron and ample antioxidants, which make these cereals a powerhouse of nutrition and helps in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strokes, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Consul Manish said that along with supporting healthy living, millets are environment-friendly grains to grow. They are climate resilient, tolerant of poor soils, drought and harsh growing conditions, and are adaptable to different production environments, without high fertilizer and pesticide needs. The seven sutras to grow the production and consumption and importance of millet for food security and sustainable development were highlighted during the presentation. Prime Minister of India’s video message on the Year of Millet was also screened.
India is one of the largest producers of grain in the world. However, the country is not largest exporter because most of the grain is consumed within the country. Consul Manish said the Indian government wants to support the millet growers and to make India into a global hub for an end-to-end production.
Canada and India, have a great business opportunity to explore when it comes to millet. “Canada too produces millet and we can both share best practices and explore business opportunities,” he said. The owners of Nature’s Path, Arran and Ratana Stephens, were also present on the occasion to discuss business opportunities and talk about introducing more millet based products in their organic breakfast and snack foods.
Dr Arun Garg, physician and founder of Canada India Network, applauded government of India for this effort and said that he would urge Prime Minister Modi to start a Healthy India campaign. He also talked about multiple health benefits of the grain and urged South Asians to take extra care of their diets being at higher risk of developing heart diseases and diabetes.
At the exhibition pavilion, different kinds of millets were showcased. Along with the millet exhibition, various millet-based cuisines were also introduced at the event to allow people to understand the crop better. The dinner buffet included everything made with a bevy of millets like buckwheat salad, Foxtail millet salad, Minestrone tomato soup with Sorghum millet. The dessert station served a range of healthy delights like Laddos made out of Rajgira, Mousse tart made from foxtail millet.
