SUBTOPIC: Grains (cereals and millets)
– Grains are edible seeds of plants in the grass family Poaceae.
– Cereals are larger grains from drought-sensitive crops, while millets are smaller and drought-resistant.
– Grains are consumed whole, rolled, puffed, or ground into flour after husking and cooking.
– Cereals are staple foods, providing a large fraction of consumed calories.
– Cereals contribute almost half of the world’s consumed calories.
SUBTOPIC: Cereals
– Family: Poaceae
– Tribe: Andropogoneae
– Genus: Sorghum (S. bicolor)
– Genus: Zea (Z. mays)
– Genus: Eleusine (E. coracana)
SUBTOPIC: Pseudocereals
– Pseudocereals are edible seeds of plants that resemble cereals but are not in the same botanical group.
– Pseudocereals are used similarly to cereals in various food preparations.
– Family: Amaranthaceae
– Genus: Amaranthus (amaranth, amaranth grain)
– Genus: Chenopodium (pitseed goosefoot, kañiwa, quinoa)
SUBTOPIC: Legumes
– Legumes are edible seeds of plants in the Fabaceae family.
– Legumes are categorized as grams (whole seeds) and dals (split seeds).
– Genus: Cajan (pigeon pea)
– Genus: Glycine (soybean)
– Genus: Phaseolus (lima bean, common bean)
SUBTOPIC: Nuts
– Nuts are a specific type of fruit according to botanical definition.
– Culinary use of “nuts” includes fruits with similar appearance and role, like almonds and cashews.
– Pomegranate seeds are edible.
– Examples: chestnuts, hazelnuts, acorns
– Culinary nuts: almonds, cashews
An edible seed is a seed that is suitable for human or animal consumption. Of the six major plant parts, seeds are the dominant source of human calories and protein. A wide variety of plant species provide edible seeds; most are angiosperms, while a few are gymnosperms. As a global food source, the most important edible seeds by weight are cereals, followed by legumes, nuts, then spices.
Cereals (grain crops) and legumes (pulses) correspond with the botanical families Poaceae and Fabaceae, respectively, while nuts, pseudocereals, and other seeds form polyphylic groups based on their culinary roles.