On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 885

Bakedcerealsfollowinthemoldofthe
19thcenturyoriginal,C.W.Post’sGrape
Nuts:doughofsomesortisformed,
baked,sometimesgranulatedand
rebaked.
Extrudedcereals,usuallysmallcrunchy
shapes,aremadefromdoughsthatare
forcedathighpressurethroughsmall
openings,muchasdriedpastasaremade.
Thepressureandfrictiongeneratehigh
temperaturesthatcookthedoughasit’s
shaped,andthepressuredropasthe
formeddoughexitstheextrudercan
causeittoexpandaswell.
Grains are still the base for these cereals,
buttheymayactuallybeoutweighedbysugar
and other sweeteners. Sucrose is especially
favored for its ability to give a frosty or
glassy surface to the crisp grain flakes and
slow the penetration of milk and resulting
sogginess.


Wheat

Wheatwasoneofthefirstfoodplantstobe
cultivatedbyhumans,andwasthemost
importantcerealintheancientMediterranean
civilizations.Afteralonghiatusfromthe
MiddleAgestothe19thcentury,whenhardier
butlessversatilecerealsandpotatoeswere

theprincipalstaplefoods,itregainedits
preeminenceinmuchofEurope.Wheatwas
broughttoAmericaearlyinthe17thcentury
andhadreachedtheGreatPlainsby1855.
Comparedtoothertemperate-zonecereals,
wheatisademandingcrop.It’ssusceptibleto
diseaseinwarm,humidregionsanddoesbest
inacoolclimate,butitcan’tbegrownasfar
northasryeandoats.
FoodWords:Cereal,Wheat,Barley,Rye,
Oat
Ourword“cereal”comesfromtheRoman
goddess of the fields, Ceres, whose name