Parched grain is grain that has been cooked by dry roasting. It is an ancient foodstuff and is thought to be one of the earliest ways in which the hunter gatherers in the Fertile Crescent ate grains. Historically, it was a common food in the Middle East, as attested by the following Bible quotes: *"On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes, and parched grain." *"Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, 'Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.'" So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back." It is known in Hebrew as קָלִי (''qālî''). The

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

has the same length of the normal grain, although somewhat thinner and darker with a green shade. It is served as a

casserole A casserole ( French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes ...

hot dish, cooked with morsels of

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

or poultry.

Use as a Camp Ration

A variety of parched grains have been used historically as a camp ration, both for military troops on maneuvers and civilian travelers on extended overland journeys. Because parching both cooked the grains, and removed most of the water content, it was useful as a way to have pre-cooked meals which could be stored or carried for extended periods, and weighed the same or slightly less than the uncooked grains. It also had the advantage that it could be eaten without re-heating it, either dry or by soaking in water, and so would both reduce cooking time in the field and allow troops to travel without any campfires at all if needed. In particular, parched rice was widely used in South and East Asia for troops well into the 20th century, including by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Sino-Japanese Wars and World War II. It was a primary staple of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

of China during the Long March, as well, being one of the few items they were able to carry a significant supply of while on the move. During the U.S. Civil War, parched maize was used both as a grain itself and as a way to carry maize for grinding into cornmeal.

References

Grains Hebrew Bible words and phrases {{ingredient-stub

Use as a Camp Ration

See also

References