Pearl millet belongs to the millet family, which is grown primarily for grains and forages in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. India is the world’s largest producer of pearl millet, where it is also popularly known by the Hindi name as “Bajra” or “Bajri”. It grows in the dry season, low soil fertility and high temperatures where other plants usually resist. Currently pearl millet is grown on more than 260,000 km², across the world.
As a replacement to rice, quinoa, oats, and other grains, pearl millet is a versatile ingredient that can be in many dishes, apart from making cakes, pasta, or as a replacement for other types of flour in many recipes. It can also be used as a Puffed Millet snack similar to Popcorn, or to make sweet or savory snack bar.
Pearl millets are largely used for preparing traditional, thick or thin, fermented or unfermented porridges, malting for the brewing of traditional beers and wines.