CerealFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A cereal is a grass, a member of the monocot family Poaceae,[1] cultivated for the edible components of itsgrain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grainsare grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop; they aretherefore staple crops.

In their natural form (as in whole grain), they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils,and protein. When refined by the removal of the bran and germ, the remaining endosperm is mostlycarbohydrate. In some developing nations, grain in the form of rice, wheat, millet, or maize constitutes amajority of daily sustenance. In developed nations, cereal consumption is moderate and varied but stillsubstantial.

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

History

The first cereal grains were domesticated by early primitive humans.[2] About 8,000 years ago, they weredomesticated by ancient farming communities in the Fertile Crescent region. Emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, andbarley were three of the so-called Neolithic founder crops in the development of agriculture. Around the sametime, millets and rices were starting to become domesticated in east Asia. Sorghum and millets were also beingdomesticated in sub-Saharan West Africa.

Production

The following table shows the annual production of cereals in 1961,[3] 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 ranked by2013 production.[4] All but buckwheat and quinoa are true grasses (these two are pseudocereals).

Cereal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal

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