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What Are Sprouts?
Sprouts, which are the germinating form of seeds and beans, are easy to produce. They require no soil, only water and cool temperatures. They emerge in two to seven days, depending on the type of seed or bean. In addition to raw alfalfa sprouts, other varieties include clover, sunflower, broccoli, mustard, radish, garlic, dill, and pumpkin, as well as various beans, such as mung, kidney, pinto, navy and soy, and wheat berries. Many are sold individually, some in mixtures.
Potomac Glen Farms in Potomac, Md., sells a wide array. Each offers a distinct flavor, suggesting, as sprout growers like to point out, that sprouts indeed work well in a variety of dishes, such as soups, salads, sandwiches, and stir fries. Nancy Snider, owner of Potomac Glen Farms and president of the International Sprout Growers Association, says one of her favorite foods is sprouts with peanut butter and crackers.
While versatile, sprouts also are favored for their nutritional value. Like other fresh produce, sprouts are low in calories and fat and provide substantial amounts of key nutrients, such as vitamin C, folate and fiber (see text alternate for chart). A 1997 Johns Hopkins University study suggested raw broccoli sprouts may be particularly rich in sulforaphane, a compound that may mobilize the body's natural cancer-fighting resources and reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Though popular in this country in only the past few decades, sprouts have actually been around for thousands of years. Mung beans have been used in Chinese foods for years--though usually in cooked dishes.
Today, sprouts in the United States are a $250-million market. Some 475 U.S. sprout growers produce 300,000 tons of sprouts every year, according to the International Sprout Growers Association. As many as 10 percent of Americans eat sprouts regularly.
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