What is the difference between Job's tears beads and Job's tears? A quick guide to tell them apart

Job's tears beads and Job's tears are two fairly similar foods, and once the husk is removed the two are even harder to tell apart. Some merchants may pass off inferior goods as superior, selling Job's tears beads as Job's tears. In fact, the price of Job's tears beads is much lower than that of Job's tears, and their nutritional value is far inferior to that of Job's tears as well. So where exactly lies the difference between Job's tears beads and Job's tears? How can they be told apart?

1. The difference between Job's tears beads and Job's tears

Job's tears beads are also called Huihui rice, Job's tears beads, Chuan gu, grass bodhi or bodhi seeds. They are the seeds of wild Job's tears of the Coix genus, with a hard, glossy shell as if lacquered. Because the shell of Job's tears beads has a natural channel through the middle and is glossy, people often use them to string door curtains, Buddhist prayer beads or bracelets. Job's tears, also called Coix seed, Yimi, Yiren and so on, is widely cultivated in China, Japan and Vietnam. It is a traditional grain resource used both as medicine and food, and is hailed as the “king of the world's grass family plants”.

The main difference between Job's tears beads and Job's tears is that with the husk on, Job's tears beads are larger than Job's tears, with a hard, smooth, naturally glossy shell, while Job's tears are smaller than Job's tears beads, with a thin, brittle, non-glossy shell. Once husked, Job's tears are milky white with a slight greenish tinge, while Job's tears beads are milky white with a slight translucence. In addition, the nutritional value of Job's tears is much higher than that of Job's tears beads.

2. How to tell Job's tears and Job's tears beads apart

The nutritional value of Job's tears and Job's tears beads differs greatly. When buying Job's tears on the market, the two are mainly told apart by looking and tasting. Job's tears have a smooth surface, occasionally with residual yellow-brown seed coat, while Job's tears beads have a non-smooth surface, occasionally with residual red-brown seed coat. If you pick one and snap it in half, Job's tears have a white, floury cross-section, while Job's tears beads have a white or semi-transparent, horn-like cross-section. In addition, take one raw small Job's tears and chew it in your mouth: genuine small Job's tears are slightly sweet and leave a somewhat sticky feeling on the teeth after chewing, while raw Job's tears beads taste harder, with no sweetness and no sticky feeling on the teeth.

That is all for Job's tears and Job's tears beads. When buying on the market, be sure to tell them apart to avoid being cheated by unscrupulous merchants passing off inferior goods as superior. It is best to buy from brand-name sellers.