Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

Do it yourself - Culinary treats from GIAHS!

14 October 2022

In occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, GIAHS countries have been invited to submit recipes to share traditional dishes with a global audience. Most of the ingredients are agricultural products from different GIAHS worldwide and contitute an integral part of the socio-cultural structure of local communities. 

Roll up your sleeves and get inspired by different recipes from Peru and China!

 

1.) Andean Agriculture , Peru - Quinoa Salad – a new way to use this wonderful cereal

The Andean Agriculture is well-known for its richness in agrobiodiversity. Besides potatoes, maize, tarwi and mani, quinoa is a critical cereal for the Andean culture and their local communities.

Quinoa harvesting leads back to the Inca civilization and is known today for their healthy properties by reducing anemia and cholesterol. Moreover it contains a high ratio of unsaturated fats.

That´s what you need:

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups of tri-color quinoa, washed and dried 
  • 2 cups of boiling water 
  • A pinch of salt 
  • Pepper 
  • A mixture of lettuce and herbs 
  • Cherry tomatoes or chopped tomato 
  • Red onion, julienned 
  • Tuna or boiled fish, even pieces of fried chicken (alternatively, without animal protein) 
  • Atiquipa olives 
  • Lemon drops 

 Process:

  1. Put the quinoa in a pot with 2 cups of boiling water 
  2. Add a little bit of vegetable oil, to prevent the grains from sticking 
  3. Let cook for about 15 minutes 
  4. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water, while it is still hot, add a little salt 
  5. In a bowl, put the salad, the tomatoes, the onion and the previously grained quinoa, the tuna, the olives 
  6. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of vegetable oil 
  7. Mix the ingredients and taste your salad, accompanied by yucca, potato or whatever you prefer 
  8. To absorb nutrients, add drops of lemon 

Flickr album Peru - Andean Agriculture: PERU - Andean Agriculture | Flickr

 

2.) Aohan Dryland Farming System, China - Different recipes with Aohan millets 

In the Aohan area, foxtail millet and broomcorn millet are two of the most common crops found in the district. Foxtail millet is not only important to dryland farming, but has features that contribute to economic development of the system as a whole. These crops play a significant role, as they are the main crops for disaster relief in the dry farming area of Northern China.

a) Steamed Millet Sponge Cake（Fagao）

What´s needed?

Ingredients:

  • Aohan millet flour
  • wheat flour
  • water
  • yeast powder
  • oil
  • sugar 

Process:

  1. Knead dough. Take millet flour and wheat flour in the proportion of 5:2, add proper amount of water and yeast powder to stir. 
  2. Leaven dough. It takes about 24 hours under proper conditions. 
  3. Knead the dough. When the dough is leavened, add sugar, bicarb and water according to your own taste, and knead until the dough is not sticky. 
  4. Steam the cake, brush oil on the cage cloth, and spread the dough evenly on the cage cloth, cover the pot and steam for about 30 minutes. 
  5. Cut the cake into pieces with a knife after it is steamed and ready to eat.

 b) Millet Crust

Ingredients:

  • Aohan millets
  • Water
  • Cooking oil
  • Pepper
  • Salt

Process:

  1. Boil millet. Boil Aohan millet to medium well, remove and drain. 
  2. Cook cakes. Spread the boiled Aohan millet on the oiled pancake pan. The thickness of millet cake is about 2cm, and the temperature of the pan is 200 ℃. After 40 minutes, take out the millet cake in blocks and dry it naturally for 12 hours. 
  3. Cook with oil. Heat the oil in the oil pan until it reaches 180 ℃. Heat the millet cake in the pan for 10 seconds and quickly remove it for serving (sprinkle pepper, salt and other condiments according to the taste). 

 

c) Baozi with millet and cabbage

That´s what you need:

Ingredients

  • cooked Aohan millet
  • green cabbage leaves
  • scallion
  • coriander
  • soybean paste 

Process:

  1. Prepare the ingredients. Slightly cool and break up the cooked Ao Han millet, wash the cabbage leaves, scallion, coriander, and dilute the soybean paste. 
  2. Roll up. Lay the cabbage leaves face up, flatten them and apply a layer of soybean paste, you can tear scallion and coriander by hand and scatter them evenly on top of the cabbage leaves, place cooked Aohan millet in the middle of the leaves. 
  3. To serve, roll up and wrap well for serving. 

 Aohan Flickr album: CHINA - Aohan Dryland Farming System | Flickr

d) Steamed Millet

Ingredients:

  • Aohan millets
  • water
  • salt

Process:

  1. Wash millet. Wash millet foronce with hot water and cool water once each. 
  2. Boil millet.BoilAohan millet with in a pot until it boils, and fish out the millet. 
  3. Simmer millet. Lay the Aohan millet on the bottom of the pot, cover the pot, simmer for 10 minutes on low heat before serving. 

 

e) Millet and red dates congee

Ingredients:

  • Aohan millets
  • water
  • brown sugar
  • red dates
  • salt
  • rice cooker

Process:

  1. Washing. Wash and clean Aohan millet and red dates for use. 
  2. Add ingredients. Put some warm water,prepared millet and red dates, or brown sugar in the rice cooker. 
  3. Cook congee.Boil congee by simmering for 20-25 minutes until it getssticky and ready to eat.