sorghum flour

Sorghum flour is a gluten-free meal produced by milling the whole grain of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), an ancient cereal grass native to Africa and widely cultivated throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The grain itself is small, round, and varies in color from white and tan to red and black depending on variety, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor profile. Sorghum is one of the most drought-resistant cereal crops and has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, making it a staple in African, Indian, and Asian cuisines.

Sorghum flour retains the bran and germ of the grain when produced from the whole seed, resulting in a flour with moderate protein content, beneficial fats, and fiber. The flour has a slightly granular texture compared to wheat flour and a subtle earthy-sweet taste. White or cream-colored varieties produce a milder-flavored flour suitable for baking, while darker varieties contribute deeper, more complex flavors.

Sorghum flour is used across multiple culinary traditions as both a staple grain meal and gluten-free baking ingredient. In African cuisines, particularly West African and Ethiopian traditions, it is milled into flour for making porridges, flatbreads, and traditional dishes such as injera. In Indian cuisine, sorghum (known as jowar) is ground into flour for rotis and other breads. In modern baking applications, sorghum flour is increasingly used in gluten-free flour blends for breads, cakes, cookies, and pastries, where its mild flavor and slight sweetness work well in combination with starches and binders. The flour performs best when used in combination with other flours due to its low gluten strength; it contributes structure, nutrition, and subtle flavor while requiring additional starches or hydration adjustment in recipes developed for wheat flour.