Vol. 7, Issue 9, Part H (2025)

Millets are among the oldest known foods to humanity and may have been the first cereal grain used for domestic purposes. For centuries, millets have served as staple foods for people living in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa, where other crops may struggle to thrive. Throughout history, millet has been a common part of the diet in Asia and India. We can create a variety of value-added products from millets, with puffing and popping being the most effective methods to make different ready-to-eat snacks, practices that have been followed since hundreds of years. Popping is a process where starch gelatinization and expansion happen simultaneously, as grains are subjected to high temperatures for a brief duration. During this process, superheated vapour generated inside the grains through rapid heating cooks the grain and abruptly expands the endosperm, causing the outer skin to break open. Puffing resembles this process but differs in that it involves the controlled expansion of the kernel, allowing vapour pressure to escape through the micropores of the grain's structure due to high pressure or temperature gradients. Here an overview of different puffing/popping method and pop or puff from millets.