Why Soak Grains?

You may have seen recipes for rice, barley, quinoa, or other grains that require soaking and wondered why.

Here's a quick rundown of good reasons to soak grains:

Better Digestion: Soaking for 2 to 12 hours begins to break down complex sugars, tannins, and gluten, making the grains easier to digest.

Better Nutrition: Soaking grains breaks down phytic acid, which makes the minerals present in the grains more easily absorbed by your body.

Faster Cooking: Soaking grains softens them and decreases cooking time. If you soak brown rice, it will take about 30 minutes vs. 45 minutes to cook.

Better Flavor: Depending on how long you soak, you are basically starting the process of sprouting and/or fermentation, which enhances the flavor. You can speed up this process by adding an acid such as whey from yogurt, buttermilk, or vinegar.

Further reading: see this article.

Image: jslander