Finger Millet

Finger millet, widely known as ragi, is a hardy annual grass grown as a cereal across the dry uplands of India and Africa. Its small reddish-brown grains form on finger-like spikes at the top of the stem, and the crop tolerates drought and poor soil well. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are major growing regions.

In Indian food traditions, ragi is valued as a nourishing, easily stored grain for everyday meals and porridges. Ayurvedic dietary writing describes millets as light and drying, and the grain is the part used.