Cereals and Pasta Cookery

Cereals
 The source of life to people providing nutritional and
material needs since the dawn of civilization
(Campbell, Webb and Mckee,1997).
 Major source of carbohydrates.
 Contain proteins, fats, some vitamins and minerals.
 The most important cereals are: wheat, rice and corn.
 Cereals and pasta are a major component of the
human diet worldwide.
 Both cereals and pasta are richly diverse and
industries devoted to them are always dynamic in that
the versatility and providence of these two are being
rediscovered in new and exciting ways.
 Wheat

• Major grain crop in

Europe, Canada and
Unites States.
 Rice

• A major grain crop in the

Philippines, Thailand,
Japan, China and
Malaysia.
 Corn

• A chief grain crop in

Mexico and in Central,
Northern and Southern
America.
 Principles in Cooking Cereals
 Cooking cereals improves their flavor, appearance,
digestibility and ease of serving.
 When cereals are cooked in water, the amount of
water varies with different cereals and processing
methods.
 When cooking cereals, follow these general
principles gleaned from the Centsible Nutrition
Program of the University of Wyoming in the US:
1. To prevent lumps in the cereal, add it slowly to
rapidly boiling water and stir gently.
2. If the cereals are very fine, use part of the water
called for it and it cold to the cereal to disperse and
separate the particles. Then, add this mixture slowly to
the remaining boiling water. Continue to stir gently.
3. Cook the cereal until it is soft and thickened.