The risk of beriberi developing can be reduced by “parboiling”, an ancient IndianRye
Secale cereale
Seigle (French); (Saat)-Roggen (German); Segale, Centeno (Spanish); Centeio
(Portuguese); Seigle/Segale Comune (Italian), Almindelig Rug (Danish &
Norwegian); Råg (Swedish); Rúgur (Icelandic); Rogge (Dutch); Ruis (Finnish);
Jau Dahr {“Bearded Barley”} (Pashtu and Dari); Zyto (Russian)
Rye is grown mainly in Europe (Germany, Poland, Belarus and the Czech Republic),
Russia and the Ukraine, and in the US. Global production is slowly declining, and
was estimated by FAO as being 13.8 million MT in 2004—of the “cereals” (so-
called), only buckwheat produced less tonnage globally.
True rye bread is becoming less popular these days and a similar type of bread,
retaining some of the original characteristics, is now made from a blend of rye and
wheat flour. Ryebread is aerated by the use of a leaven (sourdough) rather than
yeast.
The plant is a hardy annual, or biennial, 0.5–2.5 m tall, with long awns. The seed
heads are 7.5–15 cm long, with 2-flowered spikelets. The seed looks very similar to
wheat (about 20–40,000 seeds per kg). It can be successfully intercropped with
wheat.
The main agronomic attributes of rye are its hardiness, its ability to grow on
light, acidic soils and its high gluten content. There are both spring and winter types
and varieties of rye. Spring varieties normally require 10–12 days vernalisation,
winter varieties need 40–60 days.
Rye (family Poaceae) has been successfully hybridised by plant breeders. In
1875 a Scottish botanist was the first to cross rye with wheat, to form a “new” crop
known as Triticale, which combines the high yield of wheat (Triticum) with the
winter-hardiness of rye (Secale). This bigeneric hybrid contains one set of rye
chromosomes and 3 sets of wheat chromosomes, and early Triticales were sterile
and produced disappointing plants. Modern varieties can be intercrossed, and also
crossed with wheat. The grain protein content is a respectable 14–20%, and it
contains more thiamin and folic acid than either of its parents, but less niacin or
Vitamin B6. Has enough gluten for bread flour.
The global production of Triticale in 2004 was 13.8 million MT, according to
FAO, at an average yield of 4.1 MT/ha (with the highest average of 7 MT/ha in
Belgium, and the lowest of 846 kg/ha in Portugal).
technique, in which the rice is steeped in hot water, steamed and then dried prior to
milling. This process causes the movement of vitamins and minerals from the hull
and bran into the endosperm, so that the resulting milled, white rice is nutritionally
more valuable than regularly cooked white rice.
GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK 133
Rye can also be crossed with Durum Wheat to produce a sterile hybrid.
Rye is naturally cross-pollinated, by wind; self-pollination produces shrivelled,
weak seed. As a result, seed should be bought in when possible (every year if
feasible) as it is difficult for farmers to maintain their own pure seed.