A grain is an edible seed harvested from grass. Immediately, that doesn’t sound very intriguing or appetizing. However, if you take a closer look at the various types of grains that grow around our planet you will find deeply rooted tradition, culture, history, and connection that bind people together.
Cocarico, Sam et al, who are teachers and graduates of agricultural science, ecology, and biology, explain how grains, such as quinoa and barley, have been vital to the heritage of native indigenous populationswith the worshipping and incorporation of grain into everyday practices. Yet, they note that these original cultural norms that respect specific foods are haunted by Spanish colonization and the intentional destruction that was caused and resulted in the erosion of certain traditions and dishes. Though grains were one of the first and are one of the most common foods available, this does not mean their history should be overshadowed or forgotten. Grains reflect more than just a culture’s diet, but also historic events that occurred amongst people.
Nixon, Sam et al, historians who discuss grain from a perspective of economic development and a tool used to increase trade. Cultivated locally along with items such as fruits, cotton, and legumes, they were spread throughout the middle east, forming new crops and furthering the development of agriculture and trade. Saharan Plant Package towns were created, where the majority of goods would go to and leave from. Depending on the environment, certain grains and cereals would be gathered and utilized within the markets, which would have been the main success of the Saharan trade business.
What’s incredible about grains is their diversity and versatility. Coming in all shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, grains can be consumed in a multitude of fashions. Recipes across the world have learned to make them sweet, savory, and even sifted into liquid form for consumption. Grains are a superfood that never disappoints!
Since grains are an ancient plant, evolving with the world and experiencing many different timelines. Grains timeline has been directly affected by the movement of people, both forced and voluntary. Grains earlystories have been built on the backs of individuals who unknowingly completely altered the future of the labor and agriculture industry.
Grain is a powerful and influential tool that also just so happens to be edible. Many people underestimate or are unaware of how much grain impacts their daily lives and pay it litte to no attention. Finding awareness in the foods that make humans who we are is vital to the upkeeping of our societal culture. Already, the world has lost many traditions due to time and a lack of curiosity in our origins. Grain is an excellent candidate for deeper research that could connect the past and present of both people, agriculture, and the history of the earth as a whole.
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Entry sources:
Nixon, Sam, et al. “Plant Use at an Early Islamic Merchant Town in the West African Sahel: The Archaeobotany of Essouk-Tadmakka (Mali).” Vegetation History & Archaeobotany, vol. 20, no. 3, May 2011, pp. 223–39. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-010-0279-6.
Suero, Arianna Garvin, et al. “Homeland Food Traditions in the Tiwanaku Colonies: Quinoa and Amaranthaceae Cultivation in the Middle Horizon (AD 600–1100) Locumba Valley, Peru.” Latin American Antiquity, vol. 35, no. 4, Dec. 2023, pp. 927–45. https://doi.org/10.1017/laq.2023.46.
Dangal, Anish, et al. “Review on: Uses of Cereals in Traditional Foods of Nepal and their Preparation Process.” EUREKA: Life Sciences, no. 6, 2021, pp. 49-60. ProQuest, https://wooster.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/review-on-uses-cereals-traditional-foods-nepal/docview/2615148318/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.21303/2504-5695.2021.002122.
Melini, Valentina, et al. “Nutritional Characterization of an Italian Traditional Bread from Ancient Grains: The Case Study of the Durum Wheat Bread ‘Pane Di Monreale.’” European Food Research & Technology, vol. 247, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 193–200. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-020-03617-6.
Cocarico, Simón, Diego Rivera, Stephan Beck, and Concepción Obón. 2024. “Qarasiña Culinary Tradition: Conserving Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jach’a Puni (Andean Community), Bolivia” Heritage 7, no. 10: 5390-5412. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7100254
“Traditions on the Beginning of Summer in Banshan: A Taste of Food and Fun.” China Today, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2022, p. 67. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=e250038c-0674-38a3-90ce-ed64ea4a122b.
Pustilnik, Marina. “A Dish for All Seasons.” Russian Life, vol. 63, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 62–63. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=b53196f8-92d9-3db7-9744-879eae52caa2.
Serrat, Xavier, Luisa Moysset, Irene Ferreres, and Salvador Nogués. 2023. “Dissecting Rice Pearl Character, an Important Added Value in High-Quality Temperate Mediterranean Japonica Cultivars” Agronomy 13, no. 1: 151. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010151
Carney, Judith A. “‘With Grains in Her Hair’: Rice in Colonial Brazil.” Slavery & Abolition, vol. 25, no. 1, Apr. 2004, pp. 1–27. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/0144039042000220900.
Kistler, Logan, et al. “Multiproxy Evidence Highlights a Complex Evolutionary Legacy of Maize in South America.” Science, vol. 362, no. 6420, 2018, pp. 1309–13. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26569391. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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