Types of Grains & Cereals

Grains are an everyday staple in most diets, from the cereal you eat for breakfast to the popcorn you munch at the movies. Sometimes called cereal or cereal grains, grains are the edible, carbohydrate-rich seeds of various plants and grasses. They can be eaten whole, or processed to remove the tough but healthful bran and germ layers leaving only the interior endosperm layer. The best-known types of grains – corn, rice, and wheat – account for 87 percent of global grain production, according to Organic Facts. In recent years, however, more obscure grains have seen a rise in popularity in the United States.

Rice

More than one billion people rely on rice for their nutrition, according to the International Rice Research Institute. Rice is cultivated in humid wetlands, primarily in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Rice grains that have been milled and polished but left intact are sold as whole-grain brown rice. Removing the outer husk and bran creates white rice, which leaves a tender result, but lacks the nutrients in brown rice. Rice is a protein-rich grain that, when combined with legumes like beans, can provide a complete source of protein. Available in varieties, from long grain, or Indica rice, to short grain, or Japonica rice, some of the most common types of long-grain rice include Basmati, a fragrant variety grown in India and Pakistan, and Jasmine, an aromatic rice grown in Thailand. Koshihikari rice, also referred to as Japanese rice, is a popular short-grain variety grown in Japan and California.

Wheat

Second in importance only to rice in terms of human consumption, wheat is the most prevalent grain in foods like bread, pasta, cereal, and pastries. There are over 30,000 varieties of wheat, grouped into six classes, according to the Wheat Foods Council. Durum wheat is used to make pasta, while the other classes – hard red winter, soft red winter, hard red spring, hard white, and soft white – are utilized in a variety of foods. Small, dry wheat seeds known as kernels or wheatberries can be soaked in water and cooked whole. However, they are usually ground into flour. Whole wheat flour is produced from intact kernels, while white flour is made from the endosperm after the bran and germ are removed. In the United States, 95 percent of flours are enriched to add back nutrients like B-vitamins that are lost when the wheat is processed.

Corn

Corn, also known as maize, is the largest crop in the United States. It is thought to be native to Mexico. Of the millions of bushels of corn produced annually, two-thirds are comprised of dent corn, a mealy variety used for livestock feed, according to The Robinson Library. Dent corn is also refined into products like corn syrup, cornstarch, and corn oil, which are used in many processed foods for human consumption. The grain in corn is contained in kernels that grow on the cylindrical ear. Kernels can be ground into cornmeal, which is used to bake goods like tortillas, tamales, and cornbread. Sweet corn is a type of corn with tender kernels grown specifically for eating. Popcorn comes from a type of corn with hard kernels that pop under the internal pressure of high heat.

Oats

Like corn, oats are grown primarily for livestock feed. However, oats have a long history of human consumption in Europe and the United States. Inner oat kernels are rolled into flat flakes, which can be heated with liquid to make hot cereal like oatmeal. Oats are also a common addition to granola, cookies, and other baked foods. Dry oats are often added to wheat flour or ground into oat flour to create multi-grain baked goods. According to Purdue University’s Center for New Crops and Plant Products, oats have seen an increase in popularity in recent years due to the ability of oat bran to lower cholesterol and provide fiber.

Other Grains

Barley and rye are two grains that are familiar to many North Americans, but are eaten less frequently than other varieties. Hulled barley sometimes makes an appearance in soups and stews and rye, which has a unique tangy taste, is used to flavor breads. However, both are used primarily in the production of alcohol. Barley is often used as the malt base for beer, while rye is mainly used to distill whiskey and vodka. Several ancient world grains have begun to work their way into the U.S. diet as more people develop an interest in the healthful benefits of whole grains. For instance, quinoa and amaranth are high-protein grain-like plants from South America that are cooked and eaten similarly to rice. Millet is a small, bead-like grain that hails from Africa and Asia. Farro, a chewy, low-gluten grain native to Italy, has become a popular whole-grain addition to salads.