Cereal

Cereals, grains, or cereal grains are grasses (members of the monocot families Poaceae or Gramineae) cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis): the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop; they are therefore staple crops.

In their natural form (as in whole grain), they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils, and protein. However, when refined by the removal of the bran and germ, the remaining endosperm is mostly carbohydrate and lacks the majority of the other nutrients. In some developing nations, grain in the form of rice, wheat, millet, or maize constitutes a majority of daily sustenance. In developed nations, cereal consumption is moderate and varied but still substantial.

The word cereal derives from Ceres, the name of the Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture.

History

Production

{| valign="top" | class="wikitable" |+Worldwide production in millions (10⁶) of metric tons ! Grain !! 2007 !! 2006 !! 2005 !! 1961 |- | Maize | align="center" | 792 | align="center" | 695 | align="center" | 713 | align="center" | 205 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | A staple food of people in America, Africa, and of livestock worldwide; often called corn or Indian corn in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. A large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption. |- | Rice | align="center" | 659 | align="center" | 635 | align="center" | 631 | align="center" | 285 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | The primary cereal of tropical and some temperate regions |- | Wheat | align="center" | 606 | align="center" | 605 | align="center" | 629 | align="center" | 222 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | The primary cereal of temperate regions. It has a worldwide consumption but it is a staple food of North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. |- | Barley | align="center" | 133 | align="center" | 139 | align="center" | 141 | align="center" | 72 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Grown for malting and livestock on land too poor or too cold for wheat |- | Sorghum bicolor | align="center" | 63 | align="center" | 57 | align="center" | 59 | align="center" | 41 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Important staple food in Asia and Africa and popular worldwide for livestock |- | Millet | align="center" | 34 | align="center" | 32 | align="center" | 31 | align="center" | 26 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | A group of similar but distinct cereals that form an important staple food in Asia and Africa. |- | Oats | align="center" | 25 | align="center" | 23 | align="center" | 24 | align="center" | 50 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Formerly the staple food of Scotland and popular worldwide as a winter breakfast food and livestock feed |- | Rye | align="center" | 15 | align="center" | 13 | align="center" | 15 | align="center" | 35 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Important in cold climates |- | Triticale | align="center" | 12 | align="center" | 11 | align="center" | 13 | align="center" | 12 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Hybrid of wheat and rye, grown similarly to rye |- | Fonio | align="center" | 0.37 | align="center" | 0.38 | align="center" | 0.36 | align="center" | 0.18 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Several varieties of which are grown as food crops in Africa |- | Buckwheat | align="center" | 2.0 | align="center" | 2.4 | align="center" | 2.1 | align="center" | 2.5 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | A pseudocereal, as it is a Polygonacea and not a Poaceae or Gramineae, used in Eurasia. Major uses include various pancake and groats |- | Quinoa | align="center" | 0.06 | align="center" | 0.06 | align="center" | 0.06 | align="center" | 0.03 |- | colspan="5" align="left" | Pseudocereal, grown in the Andes |}

Maize, wheat and rice together accounted for 87% of all grain production worldwide, and 43% of all food calories in 2003, The amount of crude protein found in grain is measured as Grain Crude Protein Concentration.

Standardization

See also

References

External links

Category:Crops Category:Vegan cuisine Category:Vegetarian cuisine