Triticale - Trust Man to come up with stuff like this. I say this since this like so many of other wholegrains is not Mother Nature's gift to us, instead its Man made. Its a hybrid of wheat (Triticum) and rye (Secale) and was first bred in laboratories during the late 19th century. Only recently, it has been successfully made into a crop aping its parents in looks. Although the quality of Triticale is inferior to bread-making wheat and to durum wheat for macaroni, it has been tested out to be superior to Rye. The protein content is higher than both wheat and rye. How does it look and taste? [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Source : http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com"][/caption] Triticale berries are similar to wheat berries, though they also have a subtle rye flavor. It has a pleasant enough wheat-like flavor, but it's prized mostly for its hardiness and ability to grow in poor soils. The common varieties available in the markets are: 1) Whole Triticale berries (in the picture above) 2) Rolled Triticale Also called as triticale flakes or flaked triticale , these can be used like rolled oats to make a hot breakfast cereal. They cook up in about 15 minutes. 3) Triticale Flour. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="233" caption="Source:http://www.bobsredmill.com"][/caption] 4) They are also available in the form of cereals and in baked goods such as crackers, cookies and breads. Triticale and Cooking The berries can be sprouted and added to your regular salads. The flakes can be used instead of Rolled oats and substituted in recipes which call for rolled Oats. The Triticale flour contains less gluten than wheat flour so when baking yeast breads, it can be combined with wheat flour for the best results. It can be substituted in equal portions for recipes requiring either wheat or rye. Availability and Storage It is available all year round. It stores very well compared to other wholegrain lasting upto even a year. Store triticale in a cool, dry area in a sealed glass or plastic container, because air, moisture, and sunlight can cause the oils to go rancid. Nutrition It is an excellent source of Thiamine and Magnesium. It is also a good source of Folate with more protein content than wheat and Rye. References 1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triticale 2.http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/triticale.html 3.http://www.evitamins.com/healthnotes.asp?ContentID=1978009#Nutrition-Highlights