Rye

Rye is a tough, cold-tolerant cereal grain that thrives in conditions too harsh for wheat. It has a distinctive deep, earthy flavour with a slight sourness that sets it apart from other grains. Whole rye berries can be cooked and eaten like rice or barley, and they hold their shape well in salads and pilafs.

Rye is best known as the grain behind dark, dense European breads — German pumpernickel, Scandinavian crispbreads, and the sourdough ryes of Eastern Europe. It’s also the base grain for rye whisky and some gins and vodkas. Rye flour produces a stickier, less elastic dough than wheat flour, which is why rye breads tend to be denser and moister.

In Australia, rye is grown primarily in cooler southern regions. Whole rye grain and rye flakes are available at health food shops and some supermarkets, and rye flour is increasingly stocked alongside standard baking flours.