Finger millet, a very rare type of food.
Finger millet
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Common name :- Finger Millet (English)
Ragi (Hindi)
Vingermanna (Afrikaans)
Mandia (Odia)
Nachni (Marathi)
Kezhvaragu (Tamil)
Kingdom :- Plantae
Order :- Poales
Family :- Poaceae
Genus :- Eleusine
Species :- coracana
Scientific name :- Eleusine coracana
Finger millet is scientifically known as Eleusine coracana and it is seen in the arid (the area with lack of available of water / dry area) and semiarid (slightly dry) areas of Asia and Africa, and the countries such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic republic of Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Nepal and India.
Finger millet is an annual herbaceous plant and is cultivated for its grain, which is eatable. The origin place of finger millet is Ethiopia and Uganda, and farther it came to India around 2000 BCE.
Suitable Place for Finger millet :-
Finger millet is mainly cultivated in dry regions such as arid and semiarid areas. This plant can tolerate high cool temperature, so it can be cultivated in winter but sometimes it is cultivated in rainy season in some hill side areas. It can grow easily both in acidic soil (upto pH 5) and alkaline soil (upto pH 8).
Use of Finger millet :-
After harvesting and collecting of finger millet grains, flour is made from it and this flour is eaten in many of ways, like by making porridge, cakes and puddings. In India, its flour is eaten with boiled water or milk, and chapati, dosa, idli, laddu are also made from its flour. In Africa and Nepal, beer is made from its flour and is eaten. The straw of finger millet is used animal food.
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Finger millet is a very healthy food. According to USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) data 20g of finger millet gives 100 kcal energy, 2g protein, 4g fat, 13g carbohydrate, and many more minerals like iron, calcium, sodium and potassium.
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