Cereal grains are the edible seeds of certain grasses. People have grown them since the beginning of agriculture. Today, the most commonly grown grains are wheat, rice, and corn (maize). Other important grains are sorghum, millet, barley, oats, and rye.
Worldwide, cereal grains are the most important food staples. They are eaten almost daily by large populations. They supply a significant percentage of the calories consumed by the world’s population. Cereal grains and the products made from them provide food not only for people, but also for livestock, such as cattle, chickens, and hogs.
Throughout the world, more wheat is planted than any other grain. Wheat is the chief ingredient in most breads, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastas, and some breakfast cereals. China, the United States, Russia, Ukraine, India, France, and Canada are major wheat-producing countries. Wheat, often eaten as bread, serves as the principal food grain for people living in regions with temperate climates.
Rice, an Asian tropical grass, is a food staple for more than half the world’s population. More than 90 percent of the world’s total rice crop is produced and eaten in South and East Asia. Rice is also a food staple for people in parts of Africa and Latin America. This cereal grain thrives in a warm, humid climate with heavy rainfall or wet ground. It is often grown in flooded fields called rice paddies.
Hominy grits, corn bread, popcorn, and tortillas are all made with corn. Outside the United States, this grain is called maize. Although native to the Americas, maize is now cultivated throughout most of the world and is a staple food in many areas. It grows in various soils and climates and at different elevations. American farmers produce over 30 percent of the world’s corn; of that 40 percent, most of it is used to feed livestock. Corn is also used to produce sweeteners, such as corn syrup and cornstarch.
Sorghum and millet are other grains commonly used as livestock feeds. These grains are also staple foods for people in parts of Africa and Asia, where they are used in breads, porridges, and cakes.
Three other grains—barley, oats, and rye—are important in many regions. Barley thrives in a wide range of climates. One type of barley is the source of malt for making beer. Barley is also used in making vinegar, malt extract, and beverages similar to milk. Pearl barley, the most popular form of this grain, is often used in soups and other foods.
Oats and rye were domesticated much later than other grains. Oats are used mainly as livestock feed, but also go into oatmeal and other breakfast cereals. After wheat, rye is the second most common grain used as a bread flour; the two are often mixed together in breads. Bread made with rye alone, called black bread, is popular in many European countries.
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