Grains and pulses

Task H-21 covers selecting, processing and cooking grains and pulses. It carries about 4 of the 150 questions on the Red Seal Cook exam.

The grains in this task are rice (short and long grain), wild rice, barley, bulgur and oats. The pulses are lentils, dried beans (including chickpeas) and dried peas.

A grain is the seed of a cereal grass. A pulse is the dried, edible seed of a legume, a plant that grows its seeds in pods.

Expect practical questions: which rice suits a dish, whether a pulse needs soaking, why a pot of beans stayed hard, and how to cool and hold cooked rice safely.