Sprouting

Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth.

In the field of nutrition, the term signifies the practice of germinating seeds (for example, mung beans or sunflower seeds) to be eaten raw or cooked, which is considered more nutritious.

Suitable seeds

All viable seeds can be sprouted, but some sprouts, such as kidney beans, should not be eaten raw.

Bean sprouts are a common ingredient across the world. They are particularly common in Eastern Asian cuisine. It typically takes one week for them to become fully grown. The sprouted beans are more nutritious than the original beans, and they require much less cooking time. There are two common types of bean sprouts:

Mung bean sprouts, made from greenish-capped mung beans

Soybean sprouts, made from yellow, large-grained soybeans

Common sprouts used as food include:

Pulses/legumes (pea family) - bean sprouts:

alfalfa, clover, fenugreek, lentil, pea, chickpea (garbanzo), mung bean, and soy bean

Cereals (grasses):

oat, wheat, maize (corn), rice, barley, and rye

Pseudocereals:

quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat

Oilseeds:

sesame, sunflower, almond, hazelnut, hemp, linseed, and peanut

Brassica (cabbage family):

broccoli, cabbage, watercress, mustard, mizuna, radish, and daikon (kaiware-daikon in Japanese cuisine), arugula, tatsoi, and turnip

Umbelliferous vegetables (parsley family) - these may be used more as microgreens than sprouts:

carrot, celery, fennel, and parsley.

Allium (onion family) - cannot distinguish sprouts from microgreens:

onion, leek, and green onion (me-negi in Japanese cuisine)

Other vegetables and herbs:

spinach, lettuce, milk thistle, and lemon grass

Although whole oats can be sprouted, oat groats sold in food stores, which are dehulled and have been steamed or roasted to prevent rancidity, will not sprout. Whole oats may have an indigestible hull which makes them difficult or even unfit for human consumption.