Rye

Directions

→ 1 cup uncooked rye berries weighs 6 ounces (170 g).

→ Use 3½ parts liquid for 1 part rye berries as a rule of thumb for the absorption method, though I prefer the boil-like-pasta

method because the berries can be quite hard and take a lot of time and liquid to soften.

→ Cook rye berries for 1 hour after an overnight soak, longer if unsoaked.

→ 1 cup (170 g) uncooked rye berries yields 2½ cups (385 g) cooked.

→ 1 cup rye flour weighs 4¼ ounces (120 g).

Notes

Why I love it: The flavor of rye transports me to another part of the world, probably due to my early tastes of Jewish rye breads from Eastern Euro- pean traditions. Rye is also a scrappy grain, which I admire, growing well in wet and cold conditions that other grains can't handle, hence its popularity in Scandinavian, Russian, and other Northern Euro- pean cuisines.

What it tastes like: Rye berries are chewy, nutty, and just slightly sour, so they are more powerfully flavored than, say, barley. Rye flour has a deep and assertive flavor.

Common forms: Whole rye berries and rye flour, which may be labeled light, medium, dark, or pum- pernickel. Most dark ryes include all the bran and germ, making them whole grain, though some have part of the bran sifted out. For true whole-grain rye flour, choose pumpernickel. Light rye is closer to all-purpose wheat flour and medium is somewhere in the middle.

How to prepare it: As with many grains, you can enjoy rye as a whole berry or milled into flour and a few stops in between-rye flakes and rye grits, which I've actually never cooked with. Rye berries are quite hard, so give yourself plenty of cooking time; some people soak them first, but I usually skip that step and just simmer a bit longer. I like them in salads, in soups, and as a nutritious addition to meatballs and meat stuffings, such as Toasted Rye Cabbage Rolls (page 166). The flour is hearty, and while it does contain a type of glu- ten, it's a challenge to swap wheat flour one for one for rye flour in baking because you won't get the same crumb structure and loft as you do with a gluten-rich grain like wheat. Save the rye flour for denser baked goods or crackers (see Rye Caraway Crackers, page 169).

How it's good for you: Rye is exceptionally high in fiber, with the fiber not only in the bran but also the endosperm. This means rye has a low glycemic index, making it a good choice if you're watching your blood sugar. All that fiber also keeps you feel- ing full longer. Rye is a great source for magnesium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, and niacin (B3), and contains at least half of the recommended daily value of manganese, which helps metabolize protein and other macronutrients.