Porridges can be fermented or cooked with acid or alkali. The most popular fermented porridges are ogi and nash, widely consumed in West and East Africa, respectively. Whole sorghum is soaked in water and allowed to ferment for 2-3 days. The wet grain is crushed in a slurry of water and sieved to remove the bran. The fine particles are allowed to ferment longer.
Excess water is decanted and the resulting slurry cooked in water or milk.
For couscous production, sorghum flour is kneaded with enough water to form agglomerates. The particles are forced to pass through a coarse screen and steamed. The cooked product is consumed with a sauce or milk. Decorticated sorghums are often cooked like rice. Special types of small-seeded, very hard sorghums are used as a substitute for rice.