Cereals for beginners

Cereals are plants belonging to the 'grasses family' which are cultivated for their edible grains. In most countries, cereal grains are grown in big quantities as staple food. When the entire grain is used (whole grain), most cereals are rich in vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils and proteins. But often the bran and germ are removed, leaving just the carbohydrates which are just a source of energy.

The most popular and important cereals in the world are maize, rice and wheat. Other important cereals include barley, oats and rye. Some less known cereals such as sorghum, millets and teff can be locally important.

This page is the starting point to learn more about a cereals. To make it easier these cereals are presented below in alphabetical order from Barley to Wheat. Click on a cereal's picture (or name) if you want to see more detailed information or more photos.

Some cereals have more than one name. A complete alphabetical list of all cereals with their synonyms is included at the end of this page. Just click on a name to jump to the cereal.

Don’t forget to have a look at my collection of proverbs and quotes about cereals.

African rice

Barley

Barley is the fourth important cereal crop in the world after maize, rice and wheat. One of its important uses is to prepare malt which is used in beer brewing. Barley is
sometimes used as a component in health foods, and in some countries it is used to make barley bread. It is also used as animal fodder.

Corn

See: Maize

Durum wheat

Einkorn wheat

Emmer wheat

Finger millet

Foxtail millet

Foxtail millet is the second most important of the ‘millets’. It is grown in dry areas, for example in the north of China.

Indian barnyard millet

Japanese barnyard millet

Maize

Maize (also called Corn) is the number one cereal in the world. It can be grown in the tropics but also in areas with a temperate climate. Maize originates from Central America where it was grown by the Aztecs and the Mayans.

Millets

There are several types of small grained cereals known as millets. The most important ones are: Pearl millet, Foxtail millet, Finger millet and Proso millet. Some less important millets are: Japanese barnyard millet and Indian barnyard millet.

Oat

Oats are often used as fodder for horses and other animals, but oatmeal is also used for human consumption, for example in oat cookies.

Pearl millet

Pearl millet is the most important of the millets. It is common in dry areas of Africa, such as the Sahel region.

Proso millet

Rice

Rice is the most important cereal for human consumption in tropical regions. Worldwide it is the second important cereals after maize. Unlike other cereals, rice
is often grown in fields that are flooded with water.

Rye

Rye is closely related to barley and wheat. It is a hardy cereal commonly grown in Europe for its grain, for example to make rye bread, or as a fodder crop.

Sorghum

Sorghum is worldwide the 5th most important cereal, but in Africa, it is the second cereal after maize. In Australia and the Americas it is often used as a fodder
crop.

Spelt wheat

Teff

Teff is the smallest grain, with seeds of about 1 mm long. The main production of Teff is in the highlands of Ethiopia at altitudes between 1800 and 2200 meters.

Wheat

Wheat (also called Common wheat or Bread wheat) is the third most important cereal in the world, after maize and rice. It's main use it to make wheat flour, which is used to make bread. Whole wheat flour is used for brown bread, while refined white flour is used for white bread.

Apart from Common wheat there are several other wheat species, including: Durum wheat, Einkorn wheat, Emmer wheat, Spelt wheat,

Proverbs about cereals

Green maize abounds at the houses of those without teeth.
If you cure a monkey of its tooth ache its your maize farm that suffers.
It is in the eyes of a lazy man that maize will ripen.
Maize cannot get justice in a chicken’s court.
Not all the baboons that enter a maize field come out satisfied.
When planning for a year, plant maize. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.
You can never sow rice and expect to harvest maize.
A pig used to dirt turns its nose up at rice.
Ants can attack with a grain of rice.
Apple blossoms are beautiful, but rice dumplings are better.
Better than a banquet somewhere else is a good cup of tea and a bowl of rice at home.
Cold tea and cold rice are bearable, but cold looks and cold words are not.
Even though you tread slowly over your rice field it will become muddy.
For rice cakes, go to the rice-cake maker.
Growing rice gives you more than poetry will.
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
One bee makes no honey; one grain makes no rice soup.
Talk doesn’t cook rice.
Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook.
You can’t eat the rice cake in the picture.
It is safe to lend barley to him who has oats.
Who sows barley cannot reap wheat.
Measure the corn of others with your own bushel.
Barren corn makes bitter bread.
Don’t expect a cherry tree from an acorn.
Good corn is not reaped from a bad field.
Great oaks grow from little acorns.
He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
If the brain sows not corn, it plants thistles.
If you wish to make an impact for one year, plant corn; if you wish to make an impact for a generation, plant a tree; if you wish to make an impact for an eternity, educate a child.
Never thrust your sickle into another’s corn.
Praise the ripe field not the green corn.
September brings acorn and olives.
Tall oaks grow from little acorns.
The heaviest ear of corn bends its head lowest.
Very good corn grows in little fields.
When arguing with a chicken a grain of corn is always wrong.
A cough will stick longer by a horse than a peck of oats.
A horse that will not carry a saddle must have no oats.
Asses carry the oats and horses eat them.
Drive the horse with oats, not with curses and oaths.
Give an ass oats and he runs after thistles.
He’s sowing his wild oats.
It is a poor horse that is not worth his oats.
It is not the horse that draws the cart, but the oats.
It is safe to lend barley to him who has oats.
It’s a very proud horse that will not carry his oats.
Let him who dreads the sparrows sow no oats.

Quotes about cereals

And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. (Bible. Exodus 9:31.)
In the age of acorns, before the times of Ceres, a single barley-corn had been of more value to mankind than all the diamonds of the mines of India. (Henry Brooke)
Whoever makes two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together. (Jonathan Swift)
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field. (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
The Christian is like the ripening corn; the riper he grows the more lowly he bends his head. (A.B. Guthrie)
Then plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. (Benjamin Franklin)
A light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine. (Anne Bronte)
In the age of acorns, before the times of Ceres, a single barley-corn had been of more value to mankind than all the diamonds of the mines of India. (Henry Brooke)

Did you know that?

Wheat and barley were among the first crops grown when the development of agriculture started about 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent region of southwest Asia.
Whole cereals are better than refined ones. In the process of refining, the bran and the germ layer of the grain are removed, which leads to loss of nutrients.
Cereals lack in vitamin C and vitamin A. Only yellow maize and some sorghum varieties contain small amounts of vitamin A.

Alphabetical list of cereals

African rice
Barley
Bread wheat
Common wheat
Corn
Durum wheat
Einkorn wheat
Emmer wheat
Finger millet
Foxtail millet
Indian barnyard millet
Japanese barnyard millet
Maize
Millets
Oat
Pearl millet
Proso millet
Rice
Rye
Sorghum
Spelt wheat
Teff
Wheat