Ancient And Exotic Foreign Grains Capture Foodies’ Attention

Among the emerging food trends on display at a recent San Francisco fancy food show were some exotic grains seeking to fill the vacuum left by the decline in popularity of plain old white bread. Quinoa, buckwheat, teff and sorghum continue to intrigue consumers. But also  more obscure offerings like freekeh, a roasted green wheat from the Middle East with a nutty, smoky flavor. One bakery at the show featured ready-to-cook freekeh blends: apricot and raisin, herb and currant, and mushroom and herb. Also on the radar: an ancient Italian cereal grain known as faro or emmer, high-end ramen noodles, and Peruvian corn snacks called cancha.