Duck foot millet, many friends are unfamiliar with this name. This is not surprising at all, because there are fewer people growing it now, and there are few traces of it in the grain and oil markets. It is not surprising at all if you don't recognize it. Duck foot millet has many other names, such as glutinous rice, small red rice, dragon claw ear, chicken claw grain, etc. It is a very magical and nutritious millet.

But the older generation who have experienced famine still remember this crop because it was once a life-saving food. In the past, when the corn harvest was not good, people relied on planting duck's foot millet to make a living. Mainly because duck's foot millet is very adaptable, resistant to waterlogging and drought, can grow in acidic soil, and has a well-developed root system, which also helps lock water in the soil and avoid soil erosion.

And there is another magical thing about duck's foot millet. Boiled half-cooked duck's foot millet and duck's foot millet lees used to make rice wine can even grow new seedlings when planted in the soil. This very powerful vitality can be said to be the best among many plants.

In Guangxi, the Wa people call duck-foot millet red rice. It is the main food of the Wa people and a highly worshiped crop. According to legend, the Wa people interplanted corn and upland rice in the mountains, but there was enough rain in the mountains and weeds grew quickly. As a result, the corn and upland rice were covered to death, and the people suffered from hunger for a year. The next year, the clever Wa people interplanted millet red rice. Millet has a strong growth ability. The next year, there was a bumper grain harvest. People celebrated by killing chickens and sheep and sowing millet red rice from generation to generation.

Due to the strong growth ability of duck's foot millet, it is rarely necessary to apply fertilizer after sowing, or only a little plant ash or farmyard manure is needed. Fertilizers and pesticides are not required, so duck's foot millet is a kind of Very natural food.

Duck foot millet is very nutritious. It is rich in a variety of vitamins, trace elements and amino acids needed by the human body. It has the effects of replenishing vital energy and strengthening the body. According to legend, the Wa people rarely suffer from dysentery because they often eat duck foot millet. Women after childbirth also eat more duck foot millet, which can also induce lactation.

The outer skin of duck foot millet is relatively hard, and it is usually used to make wine or be ground into powder to cook porridge, make cakes, water rice, pickled fish, marinated meat, and steamed chicken. The natural aroma of the ground duck foot millet comes out, and the texture is smooth and sweet. It is a rare delicacy.

Many Guangxi people like to cook porridge with some duck feet and corn flour, and cook it into dark red porridge. This kind of porridge is refreshing and relieves heat, and quickly replenishes nutrition and physical strength. It is the most delicious staple food in summer. In the hot months of July and August, I can enjoy cold dishes and a bowl of duck feet and millet porridge to make my whole body feel comfortable.

Beihai people are famous for making duck foot millet rice flour. Duck foot millet flour is mixed with glutinous rice flour, corn flour and water to make a paste. It is poured layer by layer on the steamer and then steamed. Then cut it into small pieces, pour in the sauce and eat it. It has a soft, glutinous and smooth texture. It is the victim's favorite snack when hosting family banquets.

The Wa people’s red rice cakes are also very delicious. They mix small red rice flour with glutinous rice flour, add water and knead it into a ball, which is then used to wrap sesame seeds, bean paste and fried crushed peanuts. Wrap it in lotus leaves or banana leaves and steam it in a steamer. It is very sweet and delicious. It has more fragrance and better taste than pure glutinous rice cake.

But the most famous one is rice wine made from duck foot millet. The Wa people brew rice wine after harvesting duck foot millet every year, and it is passed down from generation to generation. This rice wine is said to have a history of nearly 1,000 years. The process of making wine is similar. After the red rice is cooked, it is accompanied by wine and medicine, and then sealed and stored in a clay pot. The red rice will ferment under the action of distiller's yeast, and it can be brewed in about two or three months. .