SCARLET RUNNER BEAN or RUNNER BEAN

The runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus, Fabaceae) is often called the scarlet runner bean because of its bright red flowers. The beautiful beans can be pink, purple, red and tan, accented with black. They look handsome on a plate or in a jar as kitchen decor.

SEMOLINA

Semolina is the gritty, coarse particles of wheat left after the finer flour has passed through a bolting machine, and is used to make pasta. Also known as rava in South India, an essential product in an Indian kitchen, called Indian semolina.

SHELLING BEANS

Unlike green beans, which are eaten pod and all, the beans must be removed from the pods of shelling beans before the bean can be cooked or dried. Most shelling bean crops are harvested when the pods and beans inside are dry, then sold as a dried produc. But you can find some of these beans in farmers markets in the late summer and fall, still fresh. Examples are cannellini eans, cranberry beans, kidney beans.

SOOJI

See farina.

SORGHUM

Sorghum is a cereal grain that grows tall like corn, and has long been grown in the South. It grows tall in the field, like corn. It is has been primarily used for livestock feed and ethanol. But for centuries, it was made into sorghum syrup, a molasses substitute (molasses comes from sugar cane). Today it is being lauded, along with other “alternative grains,” as a food cereal. Here are ways to use sorghum for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

SOY NUTS or ROASTED SOYBEANS

Soy nuts are whole soybeans that have been soaked in water and then baked. They are similar in texture to peanuts. Both are members of the legume (bean) family, Fabaceae. Soy nuts are enjoyed as snacks or to garnish salads or vegetable dishes; and are available plain or in a variety of flavors.

TAPIOCA

Tapioca is a flavorless, colorless, odorless starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant. Gluten free, it is used worldwide as a thickening agent. The starch is processed into several forms: fine or coarse flakes or flour/meal, tiny round pearls, powder and rectangular sticks; the products are traditionally white, but sticks and pearls may be colored brown or vibrant pastels. The form most familiar to American consumers is white pearl tapioca. All forms except flour and powder must be soaked prior to cooking, to rehydrate them; they absorb water equal to twice their volume or more. In all forms, tapioca is opaque before cooking; after cooking it becomes translucent.
 

TEFF or ANNUAL BUNCH GRASS or LOVEGRASS

Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter is believed to have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 B.C.E. Teff seeds were discovered in a pyramid thought to date back to 3359 B.C.E. The grain has been widely cultivated in Australia, Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, teff is grown primarily as a cereal crop, where it is ground into flour, fermented for three days then made into enjera (injera), a sourdough-type flat bread. It is also eaten as porridge and used as an ingredient of home-brewed alcoholic drinks. The grass is grown as forage for cattle and is also used as a component in adobe construction in Ethiopia. Teff is barely known in the U.S., although it is cultivated in South Dakota and Idaho and is available in many health food stores.

URAD DAL or BLACK LENTILS or ULUTHAM PARUPPU

These black lentils are popular in India, used both whole and split. The black skin lends strong and earthy flavor to whole lentils, which are used in curries. When the lentils are split and skinned (becoming off-white in color), they are used for making dal or soups. Urad dal, along with rice, is used to make dosas, the crisp pancakes of southern India, and also to make papadums. In the south of India, urad dal is used as a seasoning with mustard seeds and for curries. These black lentils should not be confused with black beluga lentils.