What grains are included in what we commonly call the "five grains and miscellaneous grains"?

The five grains and miscellaneous grains are the most common staple foods on our dining tables and the essential basic diet for the human body. The concept of “five grains” first appeared during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and it has been described differently in different eras. So what grains are included in what we commonly call the “five grains and miscellaneous grains”?

1. Different interpretations of the five grains

The five grains are five kinds of grain. When the term was created, it did not specify exactly what they referred to, nor did it leave any record. There were many different interpretations of these five grains in ancient times. The earliest explanation was written by people of the Han Dynasty, and there were mainly two interpretations:

1. One interpretation is rice, broomcorn millet (shu), foxtail millet (ji), wheat, and soybean (shu, i.e. large bean);

2. Another interpretation is hemp (referring to cannabis), broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, wheat, and soybean. The difference between the two is that the former includes rice but no hemp, while the latter includes hemp but no rice.

In the Han Dynasty, the economic and cultural center was in the Yellow River basin, while the main rice-producing areas were in the south, and rice cultivation in the north was limited. Therefore, “rice” was initially not among the “five grains.” Probably for these reasons, the Han people and people after the Han Dynasty had the above two different interpretations of the five grains.

2. What grains are included in the five grains?

Although there are different interpretations of the five grains, combining the above gives six crops: rice, broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, wheat, soybean, and hemp. However, with the development of the social economy and agricultural production, the concept of the five grains has continued to evolve. What is now called the five grains is actually just a general name for grain crops, or a general reference to grain crops. What we now call the “five grains” usually refers to the following five:

1. Paddy rice

Paddy rice refers to the grain without the husk removed. From the outside inward, it consists of the rice husk (glume), bran layer, embryo, and endosperm. It is one of humanity's important grain crops, with a very long history of cultivation and consumption. After rice matures, it forms grain, and after the husk is removed, it becomes rice, which is the commodity everyone sees today in stores and markets.

2. Wheat

Wheat is a grass-family plant widely cultivated around the world and is one of the three major grains (rice, wheat, and corn). The caryopsis of wheat is one of humanity's staple foods. After being ground into flour, it can be used to make foods such as bread, steamed buns, biscuits, cake, noodles, and fried dough sticks; after fermentation, it can be made into beer, alcohol, and so on; wheat can also be used as feed for livestock; and wheat straw can be used as a raw material for weaving and papermaking.

3. Soybean

Soybean is a legume whose seeds are rich in protein, with yellow soybean being the most common. Soybean is most often used to make various soy products such as soy milk, tofu, and tofu skin. Fermented soybean products such as soy sauce and doubanjiang are also made from beans as seasonings, and soybeans are also used to extract protein.

4. Corn

Corn is an annual herbaceous plant of the grass family and is an important grain crop with the highest total production in the world. It originated in Central America and was a major grain crop cultivated by Indigenous peoples. Corn can be eaten directly without threshing, and can also be eaten after steaming, boiling, or roasting. It can also be used as feed, and in the biotechnology industry it is used as a raw material for ethanol fuel.

5. Tuber crops

Tuber crops mainly include sweet potato, potato, Chinese yam, and taro, and are commonly cultivated in most areas of China. Tuber crops contain a large amount of starch, which can provide us with carbohydrates; on the other hand, tuber crops also contain some dietary fiber and vitamin C, making them foods that belong to both staple foods and vegetables.

3. What grains are included in miscellaneous grains?

Miscellaneous grains usually refer to grain crops other than the five grains (rice, wheat, corn, soybean, and tuber crops). They mainly include: sorghum, foxtail millet, buckwheat (sweet buckwheat and tartary buckwheat), oats (naked oats), barley, proso millet, broomcorn millet, coix seed, grain amaranth, as well as kidney bean, mung bean, adzuki bean (red adzuki bean and adzuki bean), broad bean, pea, cowpea, lentil, black soybean, and so on.

1. Sorghum

Sorghum is an annual tall herbaceous plant of the grass family. Sorghum cultivation is quite common in Northeast China. Sorghum has a high starch content and is best suited for brewing baijiu.

2. Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a plant of the genus Fagopyrum in the Polygonaceae family. The main countries growing buckwheat include Russia, China, Poland, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. It is generally used for food, filling pillows and cushions, brewing alcohol, and making tartary buckwheat tea beverages.

3. Oats

Oats are plants of the genus Avena in the Pooideae subfamily of the grass family, also known as wild oat and wild wheat. They are generally divided into two major types: hulled and naked. The oats cultivated in China are mainly of the naked type, often called naked oats or youmai, and are often made into oatmeal and large oat flakes for sale. Large oat flakes are also often used as livestock feed.

4. What are the benefits of regularly eating five grains and miscellaneous grains?

Nowadays people are paying more and more attention to health. In daily life, we should pay attention to balanced nutrition and a balanced diet, and eat more five grains and miscellaneous grains, fruits, and vegetables. So what are the benefits of five grains and miscellaneous grains? Take a look at the specific effects of 20 common five grains and miscellaneous grains:

Conclusion: The above is a brief introduction to five grains and miscellaneous grains. I believe everyone now understands which are the five grains and which are miscellaneous grains. Five grains and miscellaneous grains are the most nourishing for the body and stomach. As the weather turns colder, you can eat more five grains and miscellaneous grains in daily life. Only by having a variety of staple foods and a mix of coarse and fine grains can you ensure the nutrition your body needs.