Sprouted grain is a well-known natural stimulant. Since ancient times, its properties have been used by many peoples when cooking. One of the most ancient products, the basis of which is ground sprouted grain, is tsampa, talkan, talgan or in Russian oatmeal.
An increasing number of ancient recipes for cereals are recognized by nutritionists as the most beneficial for the human body. And those healthy food manufacturers who wish to keep up with the times have already realized that it is time to replenish the assortment of supermarkets with such products. So on the shelves of many stores in the bakery section, among the varieties of flour, one can find today "live food". Basically, these are ground sprouted cereals called "Talkan": wheat, oat, barley, rye and their mixtures.
How talkan differs from ordinary flour
I must say that the product is not cheap, although the package weighs only 400 g, and the contents, at first glance, are no different from ordinary flour. In fact, talkan can be of different grindings, but even the finest has a coarser and friable consistency than flour. The explanation is simple - for the preparation of talkan, grains are used that have not undergone the threshing process and retained a greater amount of dietary fiber, trace elements and vitamins, which are removed along with the shell during threshing.
Sprouted grains of the same cereals give great nutritional value to the product. Talkan differs from flour and in taste. Since the grains are roasted before being milled, the talkan results in a pleasant nutty accent. However, if you supplement them with ordinary traditional cereals, you may not even feel this taste at all. Depending on the degree of grinding, talkan is used without preliminary heat treatment or simply filled with hot water.
Everything new is well forgotten old
As often happens with a well-known dish, according to some unknown laws, it appears simultaneously in the cuisines of different nations. Linguists are still arguing about whether it is a regularity or an accidental coincidence that crushed cereal grains have a consonant name among the Slavic peoples and the Turkic-speaking. For the Russians it is oatmeal, for the Khakass, the Altai - talkan, for the Kazakhs - talgan, among the Tuvans - talgan.
However, if the Slavs most often made oatmeal from oat grains, then the inhabitants of Tibet for thousands of years prepared it from barley and called it tsampa. Until now, barley tsampa is the main food of Tibetan and Buryat lamas. Especially during the meditation period, when they can withdraw from the outside world for several weeks and only inhale the aroma of the food of the Gods. In Tibetan, it is customary to brew tsampa with badan tea, add salt and milk to it.
Tsampa has served as the basis for the nutrition of nomadic peoples for centuries. It is believed that the warriors of the Mongol-Tatar army could, on long campaigns and during long-term hunting, eat only tsampa, which was diluted to a state of liquid gruel with water from a stream. The main advantage of such food is its ease of preparation and high nutritional properties. No wonder the priceless tsampa allows people to maintain health, uncommon strength and energy even in the conditions of high-mountainous Tibet.
Live food today
Any type of talkan is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, a source of complex carbohydrates, which give a feeling of fullness and lightness for a long time. The low calorie content of the product has already been appreciated by everyone who has entered an unequal battle with excess weight. Elderly people get rid of constipation with this product. Just a couple of teaspoons of talkan, washed down with water 15 minutes before a meal, makes the intestines active and removes toxins and toxins from the body.
For a richer taste, you can mix talkan with yogurt or cottage cheese, add it to ready-made porridge, soup, tea, milk. Baking will be healthier if you add talkan to flour. It is not at all necessary to buy talkan in the store. After all, the technology for its preparation is simple and affordable. The grain must be sorted out, washed, left to swell, and then dried and fried until golden brown. This can be done today in the oven at 200 degrees. The millstones, which were used in the old days to grind beans, can be replaced with a coffee grinder.
