Pasta, risotto, ravioli – humble millet parades its versatility in Delhi for G20

The neglected but sustainable cereal crop is on every hotel menu in town as India's government tries to spark a global craze

As the leaders of the world's largest economies descended on Delhi this weekend, there were two things on the menu: geopolitics and millet.

India is seeking to use its G20 presidency to push a narrative of the country as an economic powerhouse and leader of the global south, but also as a platform to elevate humble millet, a long-neglected but environmentally sustainable cereal that the country's government is on a campaign to promote. Having already persuaded the UN General Assembly to declare this year as international year of millet", on Saturday the foreign leaders were treated to a specially curated summit lunch designed to show that millet is undeserving of its lowly reputation.