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On 12/29/94, Bill Elkus wrote:

> CSA/USA, and several other groups, have millet, quinoa, teff, buckwheat
> and amaranth on their Prohibited Lists.  Don Kasarda wrote an
> article....on why he felt all the above exotic grains are probably
> OK....Has anyone on this list had a serious problem with these grains?
> Was cross-contamination ruled out as a possibility?

Yes, some of us have had severe reactions to these exotic grains.  I have
had particularly bad reactions to millet and to buckwheat.  The sources I've
read say that these contain a "gluten-like" protein, but I'm not sure how
its chemical compostion differs from regular gluten.  I've had my doubts
about amaranth, but I've only rarely eaten it so I'm not positive that it
was the amaranth or something else that bothered me.  So far quinoa seems
ok, but I don't eat it often or in large quantity.  One thing people should
be aware of with quinoa-- it contains saponins in its natural state, which
need to be washed out of the grain during processing.  Saponins have the
same effect on the gut as eating soap (=distress!).  I always rinse my
quinoa before cooking it, and I don't use quinoa flour.  Maybe this is why I
haven't had problems with quinoa.

Does anyone know the latin name of teff?  Or its botanical
classification (plant family)?  I refuse to try "non-wheat" grains until I
know whether they are closely related to problematic grains.  Does anyone
know what kamut is?

Laura Johnson-Kelly
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