A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop and are therefore staple crops. Edible grains from other plant families, such as buckwheat (Polygonaceae), quinoa (Amaranthaceae) and chia (Lamiaceae), are referred to as pseudocereals.
In their natural form (as in whole grain), cereals 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 mostly carbohydrate. In some developing nations, grain in the form of rice, wheat, millet, or maize constitutes a majority of daily sustenance. In developed nations, cereal consumption is moderate and varied but still substantial.
| Grain |
Worldwide production
(millions of metric tons) |
Notes |
| 2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
1961 |
|
Maize (corn) |
1016 |
872 |
888 |
851 |
205 |
A staple food of people in the Americas, Africa, and of worldwide; often called corn in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. A large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption. |
| Rice |
745 |
720 |
725 |
703 |
285 |
The primary cereal of tropical and some temperate regions. Staple food in most of Brazil (both maize and manioc/cassava were once more important and its presence is still stronger in some areas), other parts of Latin America and some other Portuguese-descended cultures, parts of Africa (even more before the Columbian exchange), most of South Asia and the Far East. Largely overridden by breadfruit (a dicot tree) during the South Pacific's part of the Austronesian expansion. |
| Wheat |
713 |
671 |
699 |
650 |
222 |
The primary cereal of temperate regions. It has a worldwide consumption but it is a staple food of North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, most of the Southern Cone and much of the Greater Middle East. Wheat gluten-based meat substitutes are important in the Far East (albeit less than tofu) and said to resemble meat texture more than others. |
| Barley |
144 |
133 |
133 |
124 |
72 |
Grown for malting and on land too poor or too cold for wheat. |
| Sorghum |
61 |
57 |
58 |
60 |
41 |
Important staple food in Asia and Africa and popular worldwide for livestock. |
| Millet |
30 |
30 |
27 |
33 |
26 |
A group of similar but distinct cereals that form an important staple food in Asia and Africa. |
| Oats |
23 |
21 |
22 |
20 |
50 |
Popular worldwide as a breakfast food and livestock feed. In human consumption, oats can be served as porridge as oatmeal, although oats could be eaten various different forms other than rolled oats, including unprocessed oats. Oats are commonly mixed with bananas in exercise-intensive diets. |
| Rye |
16 |
15 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
Important in cold climates. |
| Triticale |
14.5 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
35 |
Hybrid of wheat and rye, grown similarly to rye. |
| Fonio |
0.6 |
0.59 |
0.59 |
0.57 |
0.18 |
Several varieties are grown as food crops in Africa. |
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