Grain

Grain is the seeds of some special kinds of grass. The main types of commercial grain crops are cereals. People grow different kinds of grain as food. The different kinds of grain are among the most important foods in the world.

Some kinds of grain are:

• Barley
• Maize or Indian corn (or simply as "corn")^[1]
• Millet
• Oats
• Rice
• Wheat

87% of all grain grown by farmers around the world is maize. Grains contain carbohydrates that people can eat. In poorer countries, grains are a large part of the food supply. In richer countries, they are still important as food, but not as important as in poorer countries. Growing grain uses a lot of water. About 1,000 tons of water is needed to grow one ton of grain.^[2]

Many different foods are made from different types of grain. The part of the grain that people can eat is called the grist, and the part they can not eat is called chaff. The grist is often ground into a powder called flour. Flour can be made into breads, cakes, or noodles.

Different kinds of beer are made from barley malt, wheat, and other grains.

Tortillas are made from a special flour of dried maize (corn) called masa.

1. ↑ "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition". Retrieved 2020-08-07. Later, in the 17th century, another term for maize appears, Indian corn—the word Indian here meaning "native to the Americas." The American word corn in the specific meaning "maize" is simply a shortening of Indian corn.
2. ↑ Knickerbocker, Brad (20 March 2008). "Water shortages affect food, transit, security". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 31 May 2011.