A cereal is a grass clultivated because of its grain, that is edible. It is composed of bran, germ and endosperm.
The cereals are present in almost every diet in the world and are considered an excelent source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and oils. The more development the country is, the more variety of cereals the population consumes.
Also, the type of cereal will depend on the agriculture of the place, for example, countries like Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay consume more wheat, and countries in south east asia like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia, consume more rice.
Different Types of Cereals
There are many different types of cereals, the more well known are: maize (corn), rice, wheat, oat and sorghum. Other types are quinoa, amaranth, spelt, millet and barley.
1. Maize
Is a very popular type of cereal highly cultivated. Is a very tall plant and the maize or corn can have different colours. America is the main producer of maize, specialy the United States.
Most of the counties call this type of cereal like maize, but Australia, New Zealand and the United States call it corn.
2. Rice
Is a worldwide eaten cereal, produced specially in temperate zones like Asia and Brasil. The asian diet is based on the consumption of this cereal. There are many different kinds of rice all over the world.
3. Wheat
Is a very popular cereal in America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East. The diet on those countries is based on wheat, compared with Asia that is based on rice. Bread, cake, pasta and pizza can be done using wheat.
4. Oat
This type of cereals is used specially for breakfast in the western world. Is well know because it has high levels of protein and it is good for the heart.
5. Sorghum
Popular food in Asia and Africa.