Sorghum Flour
What it is
Mild, pale flour from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a drought-tough cereal grass (called jowar in India). Gluten-free.
How it's made
Sorghum grain is milled; modern food-grade sorghum is bred to be light-colored and mild for baking.
Flavor profile
Mild, slightly sweet, faintly nutty — one of the more neutral gluten-free flours, which is precisely its selling point.
Culinary uses
A backbone of gluten-free baking blends (its neutrality and decent texture make it a leading wheat-flour stand-in); African porridges and flatbreads; Indian jowar roti/bhakri (unleavened flatbreads kneaded with hot water and patted by hand, since no gluten means no rolling-and-stretching); fermented batters; and traditional sorghum beer. It thickens and adds body but, gluten-free, contributes no elasticity.
Regional variations
A staple across the Sahel and Horn of Africa (porridges like tô, ugali-type dishes, injera blends) and western/southern India (jowar). Western use is overwhelmingly gluten-free baking.
Cultural & historical context
One of the world's most important cereals by tonnage and a survival crop in arid regions, sorghum has fed sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia for thousands of years. Its drought tolerance makes it increasingly relevant to climate-stressed agriculture.
Reference notes
Tags: `cereal`, `gluten-free`, `sorghum`, `jowar`, `gf-baking`. Related ingredients: [Millet Flour], [Teff Flour], [Brown Rice Flour]. Related cuisines: West/East African, Indian. Suggested links: → Gluten-free flour blends, → Jowar roti, → Drought-resilient grains.