Finger millet

Edible cereal from Eleusine coracana, important across India and Africa. People use it for porridge and gruel, and for brewing beer; it is also called kurakkan or ragi. It is notable for high calcium content and drought tolerance, making it a resilient staple in dry regions. Its calcium content — around 350 mg per 100 g, several times that of other cereals — plus iron and essential amino acids make it nutritionally outstanding. Malting improves its digestibility for weaning foods; as a C4 plant it thrives on poor soils with minimal water, supporting climate-resilient food security strategies.